The essential how-to guide to light straw clay ¿ a high-performance, low-impact, durable building material

LIGHT STRAW CLAY ¿ straw mixed with clay slip ¿ is a versatile, easy-to-use wall building material. Also called "slip-straw," its durability has been proven in beautiful, centuries-old buildings across Northern Europe and in modern high-performance buildings in North America.

Building code compliant in the US and using "waste" materials with high insulation value and excellent moisture handling qualities, it's both high-performance and low-impact.

Distilling decades of experience, Essential Light Straw Clay Construction is the most complete book in English on the broad range of light strawclay techniques in use today. Fully illustrated, it provides step-by-stepguidance for both the DIYer and professional designer and builder alike.

It covers:

• Material specifications, performance, and when and where to use it
• Estimating quantities, costs, and sourcing
• Illustrated, step-by-step guidance for mixing and installation
• Various wall systems including stud, timber, and pole framing, Larsen trusses, I-joists, plus retrofits
• Code references, compliance, and best practice
• Finishing and maintenance techniques
• Additional resources.

Lydia Doleman , a licensed contractor, was lead ecological builder for Portland's City Repair project. She's created beautiful, high-performance, low-impact buildings across the Northwest, from Portland's first permitted straw bale home to a 3,300-sq ft light straw clay brewery. She's written for The Last Straw Journal and Permaculture Activist , and appeared on NBC News and HGTV's Off Beat America . Lydia lives in southern Oregon.

New Society's Sustainable Building Essentials Series aims to provide the highest quality information on sustainable building methods and materials. Editors Chris Magwood and Jen Feigin have scoured the world of sustainable building to bring you the techniques and systems that deliver measureable benefits in terms of greater energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact. Written by the world's leading sustainable builders, designers, and engineers, these succinct, user-friendly handbooks are indispensable tools for any project.