When I was a kid, my dad built me a multi-story fort out of the hundreds of hay bales we bought for our goats. The thing was amazingly easy to build and incredibly well insulated. I spent some frosty Montana winter nights camped out in the thing in complete comfort.
I'm interested in appropriate technology and alternative building techniques and, at some point, I'd like to build my own summer cottage. Straw construction is high up on my list of techniques to look into and I'd love to hear how Daniel's straw house project is going and maybe learn from his experiences.
I assume you (Daniel) are building your house in Alabama. Isn't it pretty humid there? I can't help but think that plaster over straw would have huge mold and mildew problems in all but the driest climates. Are you doing anything to mitigate this or is it even a concern? Is straw as easy to work with as you would think it would be? Are there any books or web sites you've found especially helpful?
