how can I get specific data on strawbale construction?

Question

I'm trying to find some data comparisons between straw-bale and traditional structures. Namely cost and STC for walls. For example, excluding the cost and sound transmission of the foundation and ceiling, how would a straw-bale and stucco room compare to a wood frame/drywall or a concrete room in terms of cost per sq ft and STC.
Much thanks,

Answer 1

The cost of building a straw bale building varies greatly depending on design, size, and amount of hired labour. The price of a straw bale home is comparable, and sometimes less, than a custom, conventional home. However, when comparing, remember that a straw bale wall has at least double the insulation of a standard framed house, so the comparison isn't really accurate. If you were to ask a conventional builder to quote on buiding an R-40 wall, the square foot cost would be significantly higher. Some folks will have you believe that you can build a straw bale home for $10/sq. ft. Somewhere out there, perhaps several decades ago, some owner/builders succeeded in building small buildings with no hired labour, and with reclaimed materials, for that cost, but would be near impossible to do today. Some owner/builders have been fortunate enough to build for as little as $60-$80/sq. ft. (that is with LOTS of donated labour), reclaimed materials, wood off their own lot, etc. With the tremendous increase in materials costs today, the average home, with hired labour, falls in closer to $130-$150/sq. ft., and of course, depending on the design and finish, the cost can go much higher than that. To keep costs down, start out with a simple design, if it suits your purposes. Try to keep the building as small as manageable for your needs. And if you are able/interested, try to schedule in some volunteer labour if possible.

Answer 2

There is a lot of info on straw house construction on the Internet. Just search for Strw House.

Answer 3

The what now?