[GSBN] prefab strawbale

Wed Jul 29 20:16:37 UTC 2009

Hmm interesting indeed - of major interest to me is that they leave  
water ingress issues to others - and this, for us,  in the soggy  
South Pacific is THE major issue with strawbale.  The roof  
protection, moisture  and penetration details  are where it is all at  
as far as I am concerned.  How the bales get in place are secondary -  
but good on them for exploring the medium further.

The Sept confce does sound good but probably will not be there, sadly

cheers

Graeme
Graeme North Architects
49 Matthew Road
RD1
Warkworth
tel/fax +64 (0)9 4259305

graeme at ecodesign.co.nz
www.ecodesign.co.nz

On 30/07/2009, at 7:20 AM, Bruce King wrote:

>
>
> 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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