There has been a revival in straw bale construction, and organisations such as the Amozonails hold regular gatherings for straw enthusiasts from around the world. It takes 6000 mega joules to manufacture 1 tonne of concrete and only 115 mega joules to produce 1 tonne of straw. Of course 1 tonne of straw goes a lot further than 1 tonne of concrete. Straw is often considered a waste product and many tonnes are burnt every year, polluting the atmosphere. Straw bale houses can be up to 20% more temperature efficient than traditional homes. David Eisenberg, from the The Development Center for Appropriate Technology has contributed many resources to his popular book “The Straw Bale House”.
The Didimala lodge in South Africa uses 10,000 straw bales, has a planetarium and cinema and is one of the largest in existence. The builders employed a system of post-beam thatch roof structure with a mixture of brick and straw bale walls.