Imagine not just applying plaster as a protective and decorative finish but as the primary material for the walls themselves. In point of fact, we don’t have to imagine because many traditional building techniques such as adobe, cob and rammed earth create what are essentially plaster walls and have been used successfully for millennia.
During the 20th century certain technological innovations led to further plaster construction techniques, such as earthbag, earthship, and light-clay-straw which have found application and advancement in the natural building community. In the late 19th century mechanical straw balers were commercialized in the United States. It didn’t take long before high-plains farmers realized the insulative properties of these bales as the animals in the unheated barns were keeping warmer than the family huddled around the hearth. The first straw bale homes built in Nebraska are still standing. Although straw bales are not a plaster wall, a thick coat of plaster inside and out is key to maintaining their longevity.