The best way to learn is to do get your hands dirty.
As a studio we embarked on designing and building a small straw bale meeting room. The whole office was involved with the on-site carpentry, straw bale building and lime rendering.
Straw is a remarkably overlooked waste product material that is inexpensive, carbon sequestering, non toxic, compostable, hygroscopic, naturally flame retarding and locally available in the UK. Having worked with it we love it and can go on and on about it’s many virtues!
Here is our photo journal of the build process. For completed images see the link to the completed project.
Base rail fabrication
Base rail insulation
Sheepswool insulation
Straw arives!
Prepping the straw
More prepping the straw
Hazel pins
Securing the wall base
Corner bracing
More hazel pins
Getting there
Top ring beam goes on
Compression of the bales
Celebration time
Roof structure
Metal roofing sheets
Mesh for lime over joints
Traditional lime render
Lime on to straw
Working with your hands
rounding those corners
Scratch lines in prep for second coat
Keep that lime moist
Glass goes in
Final check up
Lime paint time
Setting the line
And it's all done!
Project information
Project Location
Waterloo, London
Project Type
Selfbuild
