Maren Termens has been living in her own straw house since 2009 with her partner Raimon and daughter Violeta.
She studied Technical Architecture (building engineering) in Barcelona and after several years of research found her way to straw bale building. After attending the European Straw Bale Gathering with Rikki, they were inspired to create this guide.
Maren is now a construction engineer and teaches workshops on straw bale building.
Maren co-authored her first book Casas de Paja: una guía para autoconstructores (Straw Homes: a self-builders guide) with Rikki Nitzkin in 2010, with a second edition in 2016. Their latest book, A Complete Guide to Straw Bale Building is an updated and translated version of the Spanish book.
Books by Maren
A Complete Guide to Straw Bale BuildingA comprehensive hands-on guide for builders – both self-builders and professionals – and an essential handbook for designers that includes many construction details.
Straw bale buildings are warm in winter and cool in summer. The natural materials used create beautiful healthy homes that also have a low environmental impact. For self-builders, working with straw is affordable and enjoyable. In professional construction, a positive relationship between quality, price and long-term savings can easily be achieved. Straw bale is also especially suited to community-based projects as it generates curiosity and often needs groups of enthusiastic volunteers.
