Thursday, September 10, 2009

Building Straw Houses


Found this unusual article and was immediately intrigued with the obvious references to The Three Little Pigs: Woman's Straw Bale House Withstands the Bluster of Critics

The big bad wolf gave straw houses a pretty bad reputation. But it turns out straw bale houses are incredibly strong and energy efficient. The century-old building material is making a comeback as an eco-friendly choice for modern home construction. And these homeowners aren't afraid of a little wind. One woman is even pioneering the building method in the sometimes cold, blustery climate of the east.

The article tells the story of Carrie Zaenglein who rebuilt her house using straw, straw bales that is. The technique is apparently growing in popularity but not in her area where she is a pioneer.

And just in case you were wondering, she's not afraid of any wolves at her door. "Zaingline says her little straw bale house stands up just as well as any house made out of sticks or brick. It might just stand up to the bluster of critics too."

Found some other sites about this growing building trend: Straw Bales Houses, A House of Straw, and Constructing a New Straw Bale House. That little pig just didn't do his research in the fairy tale or he might have ended up the most successful (and alive) brother.

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