A "modern" Straw Bale home just outside of Sacramento, California. http://images01.olx.com/ui/16/38/56/1318691036_106683256_1-Pictures-of--Lovely-custom-straw-bale-home-Euro-Gourmet-style-24-acres.jpg Building a house out of straw may seem, at first, like a foolish idea. However, over the past couple of decades, there has been a steady increase in Straw Bale homes being built, and with it has come better research showing the wisdom of this ancient building material. I am not going to get into the details of construction today. I just want to show the beauty of these energy efficient homes. A modern Straw Bale home under construction. http://www.nachi.org/images10-2/windows-in-straw-bale.jpg http://www.buildingwithawareness.com/pictures%202008/straw-bale-home-hybrid-house-glow.jpg http://www.syncronos.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/straw-bale-house-and-green-building-picture.jpg A modern Staw Bale home with Passive Solar and Solar Photovoltaic design. http://www.buildingwithawareness.com/pictures%202008/entry%20straw%20bale%20house.jpg A Straw Bale "Farmhouse". http://www.syncronos.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/straw-bale-house-and-green-building-picture.jpg Unusual Straw Bale home at the Lama Foundation in Taos, New Mexico http://leicesterexchanges.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/lama-foundation-21.jpg A small, Straw Bale, second "home" in a Berkeley, California backyard. http://blog.whatsnexthomes.com/2011/07/23/live-like-one-of-the-three-little-pigs.aspx A Straw Bale mountain home. http://www.naturalhomeandgarden.com/uploadedImages/articles/daily/2008/2/EarthFlowDesignWorks-straw-bale-house.jpg Very unique Straw Bale home in Pembrokshire, UK http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/straw-homes-461209 A Straw Bale home in Argentina. http://naturalbuild.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/el-trebol-del-monte-yacanto-cordoba-argentina/ A Straw Bale home with Passive Solar design in New Zealand. http://www.builditgreen.co.za/Portals/0/Images/straw%20bale%20house%20finished.jpg The first Straw Bale home in New Zealand. http://www.ecobob.co.nz/EcoProperty/PropertyPhotoTour.aspx?propertyId=1265&imageIndex=4 Exterior and Interior of Straw Bale home in Oakland, California. http://www.thedailygreen.com/cm/thedailygreen/images/1-oakland-straw-home2.jpg Interior of Staw Bale homes can be beautiful! http://images.morris.com/images/cjonline/mdControlled/cms/2007/12/29/229851509.jpg The interior of the Straw Bale home shown at the very top of this article. http://images01.olx.com/ui/16/38/56/1318691036_106683256_1-Pictures-of--Lovely-custom-straw-bale-home-Euro-Gourmet-style-24-acres.jpg Unique floor and ceiling details in the Straw Bale home. http://www.spiritofmaat.com/archive/apr2_strawbal3.jpg This couple built their Straw Bale home... one thing I love about these structures. http://www.designforward.net/news_diary.jpg Fine finished interior of a Straw Bale home. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1244/921390003_d42bd63944.jpg Non-conventional is a huge selling point with Straw Bale homes... http://0.tqn.com/d/create/1/0/3/X/1/-/IMG-1549.jpg ...but many Straw Bale builders choose more traditional designs. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1342/922243328_3122ad066a.jpg Deep inset windows are typical with Straw Bale homes. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/79/266169446_af3e9e112d.jpg Exquisite interior of a Straw Bale home in San Luis Obispo, California http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/straw-homes-461209