I participated in building one house with our local Community College and have helped in the construction of several other straw bale structures. Straw bale houses still stand that are over 100 years old in the plain stated Neb. Wyo. The local Habitat for Humanity has even constructed one in our area. Even without stucco just wide eaves the structures are relatively resilient as long as kept dry. We use wheat straw here, there really isn't any insects that eat wheat straw and the stucco prevents rodent infestation.
One of the structures that actually suvived the San Louis Obispo fire was a straw bale structure.
I constructed a 10x12 pump house on my property that does double duty as a root cellar comfortably cool in the summer and above freezing in the winter.
One of the other structure I helped construct was a greenhouse, it has been in use for several years and shows no sign of any mold from high humidity.
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