The first one was built almost 30 years ago and there are already several hundred throughout the country.
Is it possible to build a straw bale house instead of bricks or concrete blocks? Not only is it possible, but it is a technique on the rise throughout Spain, which is witnessing a kind of ‘boom’ in construction with straw. Specialized companies are multiplying, there is a lack of professionals to meet the increased demand and there are more and more architects dedicated to this type of project, an example of sustainability.
It all started at the end of the 19th century, when straw was used to build houses on the wide plains of Nebraska (USA). In France a house was built with this material in 1920 (which today is the headquarters of the French association dedicated to this type of building) and in Spain the first ones date from the mid-1990s.
But what does this type of construction consist of? Rikki Nitzkin, President and Founder of the Straw Construction Network (RCP)an NGO that coordinates professionals dedicated to this sector, explains the two main systems that exist today. One of them is simply to stack low bullets to build load-bearing walls, just as if they were bricks. “It is the oldest technique, but it is more delicate, because not all professionals know how to execute it correctly,” says Nitzkin.
The second option, more used because it is less complicated, are the filling structures, that is, a structure (generally made of wood) is erected as a skeleton that is then filled with straw.
Not every professional is qualified to build a straw house.. “If you want to build with this material, you have to investigate existing techniques and you have to know about bio-construction & rdquor ;, warns the president of RCP. For example, you need to know how water vapor acts to prevent straw from trapping moisture. “If a conventional construction technician wants to dedicate himself to this, he should seek advice on bioconstruction or resort to prefabricated panels, which are also marketed,” says Rikki Nitzkin.
Savings in cooling and heating
Among the main qualities of this type of housing, its “unbeatable thermal insulation capacity”, which allows you to maintain a comfortable temperature both when it is cold and hot outside. This represents economic savings in cooling and heating, apart from a reduction in gas emissions into the atmosphere caused by these artificial air conditioning systems.
The cost of a straw construction, says the president of the RCP, is not cheaper than a conventional type, “but what you do not save on the building you end up saving in the long term & rdquor; by reducing expenses such as air conditioning and others related to maintenance.
In Spain the first straw house was built almost 30 years ago and since then there are already “several hundred” operating in various points of the national geography. And every day there are more. They are not just small cabins or sheds for sporadic use. are being built large housescapable for several families, and proven resistance.
The number of architects, surveyors and builders who specialize in this system is growing. “Whoever wants to dedicate himself to this sector will always have a job & rdquor ;, says Nitzkin, who assures that “there is more and more demand & rdquor; and the number of projects is growing non-stop. In reality, “there are people who don’t build with straw simply because they can’t find professionals to do it & rdquor ;, he adds.
“Exponential increase in demand”
Of the same opinion is Alejandro López, architect and bioconstructor of the company Okambuva, a label with numerous homes scattered throughout the country. “The increase in demand is exponential and seems to be in an initial phase; I think it will increase a lot and quickly in the coming months and years & rdquor ;, she points out.
López considers that, currently, the main obstacle for this type of housing “is the lack of professionals, both for the project phase and for the execution of the work”.
He himself currently attends to 15 projects related to sustainable construction, both straw construction and other natural techniques. The future, says the person in charge of Okambuva, is promising.
Precisely to solve the problem of the lack of professionals, more and more courses and workshops are being organized to teach the secrets of a way of building that has little to do with laying bricks and concrete. They are techniques that often go back centuries and are intimately linked with nature.
In fact, Last May, a meeting was convened in Covarrubias (Burgos) national meeting of construction with straw that brought together the members of the RCP to exchange opinions and projects on this growing industry. The entity’s website also offers information on training courses and workshops.
The belief that straw can constitute a danger in case of fire is denied due to the fact that this material is never exposed or uncovered, but clay or lime plasters are applied which, according to laboratory tests, fully resist the effects of flames.
A construction system that was previously viewed with mistrust and even disdain is gaining popularity, especially among people who are more aware of the need to save impacts to the environment and reduce carbon footprint in your daily life.
Rikki Nitzkin is the author of two books on straw bale building, ‘Straw Houses: a guide for self-builders’ (2nd edition 2016, ed. EcoHabitar) and ‘A complete guide to straw bale building’ (2020, ed. Permanent Publications) and owns a company on training in this technique: https://tallerconco.org/
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