Full AspenCat Catalog

Susanka designs houses for living: comfortable, compact, uncrowded space for, often, multiple functions. Contrast her inviting, manageable houses with the vulgar, wasteful, show-off monuments to consumption containing specialized rooms that are rarely used (often because they are icy, sterile, forbidding). Taunton's usual splendid photography is evident in some 200 color plates. Floor plans show how traffic and life will flow.

A house made out of straw? Yes! Whether you build an entire house or something more modest--a home office or studio, a retreat cabin or guest cottage--plastered straw bale construction is an exceptionally durable and inexpensive option. What's more, it's fun, because the technique is easy to learn and easy to do yourself. And the resulting living spaces are unusually quiet and comfortable.

This volume compiles floor plans and images from 40 cutting-edge homes across North America, showcasing a spectrum of regional styles and personal aesthetic choices. 150 color photos.

This comprehensive guide will help designers, contractors, and owner/builders everywhere decide if straw bale is a viable building option for their situation.