Books
Natural building
The Hand-Sculpted House: A Philosophical and Practical Guide to Building a cob cottage. 2002. Ianto Evans, Michael G. Smith, Linda Smiley.
The North American reference book for building with cob.
More Straw Bale Building. 2005. Chris Magwood, Peter Mack & Tina Therrien.
A very good introductory book about straw bale building
The Natural Building Companion. 2012. Jacob Deva Racusin, Ace McArleton
One of the most detailed reference guides to building straw bale homes, and other green building techniques. Includes a DVD.
Straw Bale Details: A Manual for Designers and Builders. 2003. Chris Magwood, Chris Walker.
Drawings and text showing details for framing and balework. Once you have a basic knowledge of straw bale construction this is the next step for designing and building your straw bale home
Using Natural Finishes: A Step-by-Step Guide. 2008. Adam Weismann, Katy Bryce.
An excellent in-depth guide to natural plastering. Some of the British materials are different from those available in North America, but this is one of my favourite books on natural plastering.
Essential Natural Plasters: A Guide to Materials, Recipes, and Use. 2018. Michael Henry & Tina Therrien
A thoroughly practical and comprehensive guide to natural plastering. Includes recipes from many natural builders, detailed information on materials and how to spec the best plaster for your job. Granted I’m the author, but in my opinion this is the best book on natural plasters. Buy now.
Superinsulation and air sealing
The super-insulated retrofit book. 1981. Brian Marshall, Robert Argue
The Passivhaus Handbook. 2012, Janet Cotterell, Adam Dadeby
Web
Martin Holladay’s blog is one of the best resources for energy efficient building on the web
Alberta Radical Retrofit Video
A Youtube video featuring Harold Orr speaking about the economics of retrofitting buildings
An inspiring and incredibly detailed blog about the construction of a net zero house in Edmonton
Tools and Materials
Excellent site and terrific content!
Thank you for your work with the ‘essential natural plasters’ book. it is fantastic.
Thank you! We couldn’t have done it without the collaborative spirit of natural building, and the contributions of so many builders.
Hi! I just read about you in Mother Earth News, and I am fascinated by this and would love to attempt a home like this but my problem is, I live in North Florida. And if you know anything about Florida, it’s nothing like anywhere else. Do you know anyone who has done this successfully in Florida? Do you think it’s possible at all?
Hi, I’m not sure but try posting this question to one of the Facebook groups, I love natural plaster or straw bale building, there are folks from all over.