This Tucson home was made using straw bales
Joe Silins used straw bale construction to build his 450-square-foot casita in midtown Tucson. The construction lasted from 2015-2016 and cost around $30,000.
Since then, he has continued to assist others in building their own homes using natural building techniques, which are becoming more popular and promote sustainability, such as using straw bales and adobe.
Straw bale houses feature walls made of straw for structuring and insulation. Those walls are then covered in a barrier that keeps moisture out and plastered. Video by Riley Brown / For the Arizona Daily Star.
As featured on
New Hindu temple opening in TucsonFor Star subscribers: The location on Wetmore Road, near Flowing Wells Road, is expected to open soon for worship and ritual services.
An affordable housing community with 50 homes has been completed by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe on Tucson's west side, and another 100-plus housing units are planned.
The city of Tucson says a new building-permit system has helped cut permit review times, and a new planning director was named to head the effort.
