Essential Light Straw Clay Construction - (Sustainable Building Essentials) by Lydia Doleman (Paperback)

About the Book

Light straw clay is a code compliant high-performance, low-impact building material with insulation and moisture handling qualities. This illustrated guide to light straw clay for stud, timber, pole and other framing styles covers material specifications, best use, mixing, installation, retrofits, code compliance, finishing and maintenance.

Book Synopsis

Build High-performance, Low-impact Walls with Light Straw Clay

Part of the Sustainable Building Essentials series, Essential Light Straw Clay Construction is the first fully illustrated, step-by-step guide to using light straw clay--a durable, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly wall material. Learn how to create beautiful, code-compliant walls that combine centuries-old wisdom with modern high-performance building science.

What You'll Learn

• Sustainable, Low-carbon Construction: Uses straw "waste" mixed with clay for a high-insulation, low-impact material that reduces embodied energy.


• Thermally Efficient and Moisture-resistant: Naturally regulates indoor humidity, buffers temperature swings, and improves comfort year-round.


• Durable and Code-compliant: Proven long-lasting in historical and modern buildings, meeting US building codes for safety and performance.


• Step-by-step Guidance: Illustrated instructions for mixing, installation, and variations such as slip-chip, plus detail drawings for stud, timber, pole framing, Larsen trusses, and retrofits.


• Project Planning Made Simple: Material selection, quantity estimation, budgeting, sourcing, and best practices for a successful build.


• Finishing and Maintenance: Learn techniques to ensure long-term durability, aesthetics, and minimal upkeep.

Written by Lydia Doleman, licensed contractor and natural building expert, this guide combines hands-on experience, practical instruction, and building science to give DIYers and professionals the confidence to use light straw clay in a variety of construction and renovation projects.

Explore the full Sustainable Building Essentials series for practical, illustrated guidance on natural building techniques, sustainable wall systems, and high-performance construction

From the Back Cover

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.

About the Author

Lydia Doleman is a licensed contractor with two decades of experience as a natural and sustainable builder, cabinet maker, and trainer. She has taught carpentry and natural building at Solar Energy International in Colorado and was lead ecological builder for Portland's City Repair project from 2002-09. Aiming to merge three converging passions in her life - art, ecology and social justice - Lydia has created beautiful, high-performance, low-impact buildings across Oregon and Washington, including Portland's first permitted straw bale home, The Rebuilding Center's cob entryway, and a 3,300-sq.f light straw clay brewery. She's written articles for The Last Straw Journal and Permaculture Design and appeared on NBC News and HGTV's Off Beat America on the topic of tiny homes, featuring a small-scale light straw clay timber frame home. Lydia lives in southern Oregon.