The House of Straw - No longer the preserve of Fables and Fairly Tales
February 1, 2009
In a bold step, it appears that North Kesteven District Council (Lincolnshire) is about to announce plans for the first social houses to be built in Britain using straw bales. As we set out in our recent article entitled "the true cost of buildings" (31st January 2009), North Kesteven District Council recognises the benefits that can be gained from green construction.
What does Straw Offer?
- Offers construction cost savings
- Is a good insulating material
- Can be locally sourced (thus reducing freight costs)
- Is sustainable
Costing in the region of £120,000 each, the four properties will be made out of 480 tightly packed bales and finished with lime-washed walls. The cost saving does not stop there with up to 80% a year saved on heating bills.
Whilst this is the first time that a local authority has commissioned this, the practice is not new with a number of private homes and commercial buildings having already been constructed in the UK using straw.
What about Planning and Building Control Regulations?
Although the material may be different, the same building and planning control process will have to be addressed regardless. Unless the proposal is to be sited within an area of special control where the external finish of the building is paramount, the planning department will only be interested in its appropriateness when it comes to its size, siting and design.
With challenging carbon emission targets to meet, who knows, a straw bale house may be coming to a place near you soon.
To find a company who may assist you further, simply click on the free links located on the right hand side of the page.
Comment on This Article:
All HTML, except <i>, <b>, <u> will require your comment to be moderated before it is publicly displayed.
If you would like your own avatar displayed, read about comment avatars.
Reader Comments
Skip to form
There are currently no comments about this article.