This is also nothing new, straw has been used as an insulation material for a very long time, even in "modern" buildings.
It's just nowhere near as effective as glass wool, for example.
glass wool
Is that the same as fiberglass?
I worked on a few buildings where they used straw balls lenght wise. They had meter thick walls and it's very efficient. One of them only had a tiny wood stove
Grand designs did an episode on the construction of one. It has a beautiful smooth interior look once its rendered
It can be used as structure, not just insulation, if compressed right.
Wtf is going on with that white border?
In all seriousness though: Pretty sure this is referring to using straw as insulation, not structural elements.
Haybale homes have been around for ages, mum said they popular in the the 70s with the earth loving movement, and I recall them getting popular on pinterest again in 2012ish with the eco house movement.
You stack the bales, run insulated cables and plumbing as needed, then render over the whole lot.
Nope. Look closer and you will see that those wooden support beams are totally also made of hay
I forsee many issues with mould
I'd be more worried about fire. High temperature plus a bit of moisture from, say, a leak, will cause hay piles to spontaneously combust.
The cob or other earthen plaster incorporates clay or livestock manure which add hydrophobic and polymeric properties, which then air-cures to seal out moisture, and it's thick so if it gets wet it has to get really wet to penetrate the hay. Ideally these also have large overhanging rooves to sheet away rain.
My guinea pigs would love if my home was made out of straw.
Still love Green Jellö. My cousin had a VHS of their music videos. Balsac does a guest appearance on at least one if I remember right.
My revolutionary idea is live in trees.
To all the comments saying this is just straw insulation: it's more than that.
Compressed straw as building blocks is a thing now. Apparently it's strong and fire retardant too, though I don't know how much treating and cladding it needs above just being compressed.
Usually the straw block is made with a big motorised machine, but I've seen a hand-operated straw block press, with a great big long pole as an enormous lever. And the building made from its produce: a two storey building with conference hall and kitchen/accommodation. I think only the conference hall half was made with the straw blocks; the other half is interlocking bricks (like Lego 1-by-2s) also made on site.
I worked on one of these years ago in the mid-atlantic. It was a fucking disaster. I'm sure they are great in the desert.
Doesn't using straw in roofing or insulation spread bed bugs? I remember reading how the little monsters used to spread in medieval Europe that way, and in their straw mattresses.
Image Transcription: Twitter Post and Reply
designboom, @designboom
future homeowners in france are now looking into "straw houses"
designboom.com/architecture/s…
[A photograph of a building interior with straw lining the walls. Two large windows are present on the wall.]
HOOD VOGUE is tired of poverty, @keyon
Y'all don't read classic literature.
Are there wolves in France?
Yes, mostly in the Pyrenees.
Are they big and bad?
Apropos to nothing in particular, there are some cool developments in hemp building materials over the recent years.
Straw and sticks, but not of bricks!
You can tell the age of the meme from the "Twitter" footer
Yeah, it has the date on it.
