Chris Magwood - Essential Prefab Straw Bale Construction: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Praise for

Essential Prefab Straw Bale Building

The next generation of straw bale buildings is coming, and now we have a guide for builders, designers, and would-be manufacturers from one of the best sources anywhere. As always, Chris Magwood brings enthusiasm, experience and solid science to the subject, so buy this book! Now! And prepare to learn, smile, and be part of a cool new generation of building!

Bruce King, Ecological Building Network, author, Design of Straw Bale Building

Essential Prefab Straw Bale Construction is a jumping off point both for professionals pondering unique, turn-key business opportunities and for novice homeowner-builders seeking an easier DIY approach to straw bale building. Accelerate your own research and development by several years in an easy weekend read.

Ben Polley, Evolve Builders Group

This essential guide covers it all, from the why and how to the nitty gritty details. Having explored a variety of modular and prefab delivery methods, with the help of this book, we foresee prefab straw bale becoming a favorite go-to solution.

Anni Tilt, AIA & David Arkin, AIA, LEED AP / Arkin Tilt Architects

Not satisfied with the impact hes already made, Chris Magwood has given us a blueprint for building regenerative housing for the masses. No more baby steps this book is a giant leap forward for straw bale building!

David Lanfear, Bale on Bale Construction

[Magwood is] way ahead of the curve as usual with this publication. And yet it is not a minute too early for the public to be introduced to this important advancement in the world of low carbon construction. Enclosed you will find everything you want to know about prefabricated straw bale construction and a bunch of other things you should know as well.

Ben Graham, New Frameworks Natural Building

Chris Magwood has been on the forefront of natural building and he once again shows his ability to bring things to the next level. Prefab straw bale may indeed be the catalyst that this incredible technology needs and Chris lays out the plan in detail in this book. From why its important to how to get started, Chris inspires us to think bigger than ourselves. He takes us deeper into the actual how-to details in a way that allows the reader to step forward with confidence and bring the dream of prefab straw bale into reality.

Andrew Morrison, www.StrawBale.com

While it is not possible to create a standardized, code-approved individual straw bale, the use of prefabricated straw bale panels manufactured in a quality-controlled environment offers a system that will have predictable design parameters. As a researcher, educator and practicing engineer I believe that Magwood has provided us with a practical reference that can provide guidance for students and design professionals who know that the future of sustainable building will be found in creative alternative building strategies.

Kris J. Dick, Ph.D, P.Eng., Associate Professor and Director, The Alternative Village, Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba

A book that should be in the hands of every builder, designer, architect, code official and home owner who wants to see better buildings built. Incredibly accessible and technically thorough, it is not often that a technical guide is also such an inspirational read. Every builder, designer, architect, building official and environmentalist will benefit from reading and re-reading this book.

Melinda Zytaruk, Fourth Pig Green and Natural Construction

Essential Prefab Straw Bale Building just blew the doors wide open for straw bale builders. Building on his success with his book Making Better Buildings, Chris Magwood has again written a game-changing book for us natural building geeks. Straw bale construction has been criticized as a niche-y, one-off kind of housing typology. Panels are an incredible solution to scalability and replicability of building with straw. My gratitude goes to Chris again for doing the research and testing for us!

Emily Niehaus, founder/director, Community Rebuilds

Copyright 2016 by Chris Magwood.

All rights reserved.

Cover design by Diane McIntosh.

Cover art provided by the author. Straw image: AdobeStock_64243755. Thumbs up art: AdobeStock_23490949

Printed in Canada. First printing June 2016.

This book is intended to be educational and informative. It is not intended to serve as a guide. The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk that may be associated with the application of any of the contents of this book.

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-86571-820-3

eISBN: 978-1-55092-614-9

Series ISBN: 978-0-86571-821-0

Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of Essential Prefab Straw Bale Building should be addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below. To order directly from the publishers, please call toll-free (North America) 1-800-567-6772, or order online at www.newsociety.com

Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to:

New Society Publishers

P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada

(250) 247-9737

New Society Publishers mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision. We are committed to doing this not just through education, but through action. The interior pages of our bound books are printed on Forest Stewardship Council-registered acid-free paper that is 100% post-consumer recycled (100% old growth forest-free), processed chlorine-free, and printed with vegetable-based, low-VOC inks, with covers produced using FSC-registered stock. New Society also works to reduce its carbon footprint, and purchases carbon offsets based on an annual audit to ensure a carbon neutral footprint. For further information, or to browse our full list of books and purchase securely, visit our website at: www.newsociety.com

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Magwood, Chris, author

Essential Prefab Straw Bale Construction : The Complete Step-by-Step Guide / Chris Magwood.

(Sustainable building essentials)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-0-86571-820-3 (paperback).--ISBN 978-1-55092-614-9 (ebook)

1. Straw bale houses--Design and construction--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Walls--Design and construction--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title. II. Title: Prefabricated straw bale construction. III. Series: Sustainable building essentials

Series editors

Chris Magwood and Jen Feigin