[GSBN] prefab strawbale

[Bruce King]

While in the UK last summer I visited a Modcell project and spent the  
day with the inventors, and have known them for a while.  They have  
completed some really nice buildings -- and are well aware that  
they're process is still a bit material intensive.  A good and smart  
bunch of folks, and I'm happy to see anyone make any progress in  
simplifying straw-based construction.  Most people want the benefits  
of thick straw walls, but few can give up the floor space, or the time  
and expense required for a lovingly hand-built home.

The web link takes you to the current Modcell project at the  
University of Bath.  As it happens, there will be a fantastic  
conference there in early September.  I'll be there, and I think I saw  
Tom Woolley and Chris Magwood's names on the speaker list (yes?).   
There will be a lot of great stuff on straw and fibers, earthen  
building, pozzolans & lime, hemp, use of waste materials, and more.   
Hope to see y'all there.

Finally, please put in a prayer with your favorite God(s) and  
Goddess(es).  Ecological Building Network is applying to scoop a big  
old bucket of money out of this much ballyhooed stimulus funding being  
distributed by the Obama administration to both kickstart the economy  
and push a much more green agenda.  If successful -- and we'll know at  
the end of the year -- we will:
- conduct more seismic testing so as to gain entrance to mainstream  
building codes for straw construction;
- conduct more thermal testing and modeling so that we can all say  
with confidence how the plaster mass and sheer wall thickness make a  
plastered straw bale wall behave much more effectively than a static R- 
value would suggest, and;
- write and publish an ASTM International standard for straw-based  
construction that could/should pave the way for not just bales, but  
the family of straw panels, blocks, spray insulation and more that is  
coming soon.

cheers to all,

Thanks,

Bruce King
(415) 987-7271
bruce-king.com

On Jul 29, 2009, at 10:46 AM, martin hammer wrote:

> I encourage people to look at the following website regarding a  
> prefab SB system being developed and implemented in the UK:
>
> http://www.modcell.co.uk/page/new-balehaus-at-bath
>
> Is anyone familiar with this?  Also, I include here a brief sequence  
> of comments between Dan Smith (GSBN member), Dietmar Lorenz (of  
> Dan’s office), and myself.
>
> Martin Hammer
>
>
>
> On Jul 29, 2009, at 8:29 AM, Dietmar Lorenz wrote:
>
> Very interesting, indeed. I wonder how material (and cost-)  
> effective this system is after all. The frames have to be overly  
> sturdy for transport and handled very carefully to avoid damage to  
> the plaster or the installed doors and windows. Wiring and plumbing  
> could also be a challenge with such small units, rather than full  
> length wall segments or prefab boxes. Dan has probably more insights  
> to share from his experience with our ZETA prototypes.
>
> But it's great to see that this is being explored in a serious way,  
> and it certainly architecturally appealing. Maybe I'll see it from  
> the airplane Saturday morning, when we fly over the UK...
>
>
>
> On 7/29/09 8:35 AM, Dan Smith  wrote:
>
> Thanks, it's certainly refreshing in concept and looks.  But it  
> seems about $25 sf for bare bale panel only, hmm.
>
>>>>
>>>>
> On 7/29/09 9:40 AM, Martin Hammer wrote:
>
> I agree with both of your comments.  The wood frames are thick,  
> deep, heavy, and consume a lot of wood.  Maybe an ‘I’ section could  
> be used.  And I hadn’t noticed the per sq.ft. price.
>
> It’s still good to see.  A modern vocabulary with SB (rarely seen),  
> using the bales only in solid panels (no holes poked in them), and  
> at least trying pre-fab, with plaster done in shop conditions (even  
> though it inherently creates bulky, heavy panels that must then be  
> transported).  Not sure how dependable the bale to frame interface  
> is in terms of potential water intrusion.
>
>
>
>
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