The house that straw built

One day, if all goes to plan, the new homes being built for North Kesteven District Council will be as conventional as brick. For now, the fact they are made of straw is turning heads

You can huff and you can puff, but you won’t be able to blow this house down. The two homes under construction in Waddington, Lincolnshire, might be built of straw but the innovative construction techniques involved mean that they are as sturdy as the traditional-build structures they resemble.

Straw bale buildings have been constructed in America since the late 1800s and crossed the pond to the UK in 1994, but the semi-detached homes in Waddington are a novel development for a local authority. They are the first council houses to be constructed using this technique and North Kesteven District Council (NKDC) is hoping that others will soon follow their lead.

Construction is well-advanced. The homes use conventional roofs and windows, but the main building material is straw compressed into bales and assembled to form the walls. These are covered in a lime render, which when complete will mean the houses resemble traditionally constructed properties.

Built by contractor Taylor Pearson, the two houses in Brumby Close, Waddington, were designed by the architectural designers Amazonails, based in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. The company’s designs are in it for the long term – with the homes expected to last at least 200 years. Understandably the unusual building material, not to mention innovative construction techniques involved, have meant the houses have caused quite a stir. There is a palpable sense of excitement as the homes near completion.

“The straw houses are getting nearer and nearer completion,” said Councillor Marion Brighton, leader of the district council. “With the walls now built and roofs attached, there is a great sense of excitement and anticipation.

“These are the first council houses of their kind in the country, and North Kesteven District Council is proud to be the driving force behind the scheme. We hope that other local authorities will be inspired to build affordable, sustainable houses like these.”

For all the excitement that this unusual project has provoked, however, perhaps the real underlying importance of the construction isn’t the novelty of straw – but the insulation and sustainability the material represents.

The straw means that the homes are inherently better insulated than their conventional counterparts, which is important not only for energy efficiency and lower carbon emissions – but also for the residents’ pockets when it comes to paying the bills. Add to the fact that, as a natural renewable material, the straw itself accounts for a net reduction of the domestic carbon footprint. After all, in its
growth, it represents carbon already captured and locked out of the atmosphere.

There are also benefits in terms of build cost savings. And it is expected that further homes can be built for less, as they gain the experience and the greater understanding of the techniques involved, to become more proficient at using this sustainable method.

“This is a pilot project and the district council has set a budget of £110,000 per home, which is approximately £20,000 less than a traditional built brick property of the same size and design,” said a council spokesperson. “It is hoped that once we have built the first set of houses, we can learn from the experience and then build more straw houses at a lower cost.”

Some media reports have cited a price of £60,000 to build the homes, but the council added that this figure is only accurate for self-build, where there are no labour costs, rather than the scheme currently under development. The project was part-funded by the Homes & Communities Agency.

Once completed, in March 2010, the homes will be allocated through NKDC’s normal allocations scheme for council housing. Meanwhile, the council is looking to build more of these unusual homes, with two more planned at West Grove, Martin.

A council spokesperson added: “North Kesteven is an innovative council and has a national reputation for successfully delivering new ideas and techniques. This project will allow us, as a district authority, to learn more about new construction techniques using sustainable materials that are available in this area.”