There is a reason we moved away from straw built houses… um, do we remember the “big bad wolf?” Even though former accountant Carol Atkinson, from East Yorkshire, UK, intentions to “go green” were there, it seems ridiculous to take such a step backwards to start building straw bale houses. If it was such a great building material, why did we ever move away from it in the first place?
Carol explains: “Straw bales provide a high level of insulation and have very low embodied energy, locking away carbon for the life of the building. When plastered on both sides, straw bale walls are fireproof, verminproof and airtight.” The cabin has been built with locally grown straw and other renewable materials, and it generates its own energy with a micro wind turbine, solar panels and other features. The straw bale cabin combines these features with an array of renewable energy generators, helping to significantly cut down on the cabin’s energy use. Situated in placid East Yorkshire, it is currently available for rent.
Carol is studying sustainable building at the University of East London and at The Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales.
