You can be pretty much assured that no two stawbale houses will be exactly the same.

Straw is a natural readily available renewable material. It is affordable building material. In fact in many countries it is regarded as a waste by-product from the harvesting of wheat, rice, oats and rye so the only cost might be the transportation.

There are two main construction methods involved in strawbale building:

1. Post & Beam
2. Load bearing

There are many techniques and approaches to building with straw but one of the main benefits is that it is completely possible to build your own natural house with straw bales on your own with a little help from your friends.

Andrew Morrison from Strawbale.com runs courses in strawbale building as well as supplying all the material you might need to tackle your own straw bale building project. Check out the links below for information on Post & Beam and Load Bearing Construction
Post and Beam DVD , Load Bearing DVD

Log House Construction is popular in Scandinavia, North America and Canada where there is a plentiful supply of suitable timber. Firs, Pines and Spruce trees are popular.

For more information click "The wner-Built Log House"

At House Design Online, we are specialists in designing, importing and constructing Log House

True Log Houses are not to be confused with “Kit Houses”. If you need to find out more then read Allan Mackie’s book the “Owner-Built Log House”  for all you need to know about constructing a Log House.

Mackie guides the reader through the process of building a Log House from Site selection to the chase and preparation of the logs, the sharpening of tools and the cutting, lifting and fitting of logs, and right through to the House.