Although straw bale construction is beginning to enter the mainstream, many people continue to wonder what a straw bale house looks like. The New Strawbale Home answers definitively, "Anything you want!" Innovative architects and builders are reinventing this century-old technology to create thick-walled modern houses of unsurpassed natural beauty. The New Strawbale Home compiles floor plans and images from thirty cutting-edge homes across North America, from California to Quebec, New Mexico to New England, showcasing a spectrum of regional styles and personal aesthetic choices. This practical guide discusses varying climate considerations and essential design details for problem-free construction and low maintenance, and also points out the ecologically friendly, energy-saving aspects of straw bale construction. The New Strawbale Home beautifully illustrates how building with straw bales allows for maximum personal creativity-whether the finished product is an urban home, a country hideaway, or anything in between. The New Strawbale Home includes information on budget considerations, code compliance, siting for energy efficiency, structural systems, and finishing touches. Also included are the valuable insights and experience of architects, contractors, and owner-builders, plus an extensive resource section. Author and photographer Catherine Wanek organized the building of a straw bale greenhouse in 1992 and has been an advocate for straw bale construction ever since. She produced and directed the Building with Straw video series, and spent nearly five years publishing and editing The Last Straw Journal. Her first book, The Art of Natural Building, was published in 2002. Wanek lives in Kingston, New Mexico.