Build House of Straw

August 9, 2010 | Posted by HomeZooka.com

The following home trend post, have a title ‘Build House of Straw‘. An architect from the United States, Kelly Lerner, designed the main material straw house that is energy efficient in China. Thanks to this innovation, he managed to become one of the architects who won the World Habitat Award. The award in the framework of the UN World Habitat Day this warning, Kelly Lerner judged worthy of this award for their hard work to build housing projects and energy-efficient school in China, the five villages in the cold temperate Northeast. For more than seven years, Kelly worked with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to introduce straw construction technology in China.

Straw rolls
Hundreds of homes designed for residential Kelly Lerner in China made from straw which composed the main forming rolls (straw bale). Straw is the rest of the farming activities, ie rice stalks or wheat, which had taken the fruit of rice / wheat. Usually, the remains of agricultural produce is used for animal feed, which apparently can also be a material straw house. The majority of the people of the countries that consume the rice should be able to develop this material. Unfortunately, now just an agrarian country’s agriculture sector was slow so that the rice had to be imported. Whereas the straw that these insulators are suitable for tropical climates. With straw walls, the room temperature can be warmer in winter and cool the space when the weather outside is hot-hot.

Energy Efficient Materials
In America, the use of straw material for houses became popular since 1990. At that time the straw is widely used to make walls. Within 10 years, the popularity continues to increase because the straw has many advantages, namely, among others:

1. Energy Efficient
Walls made of straw could reduce energy use. Of the houses built in China, carrying home straw can reduce the amount of coal for heating up to 68% (compared with brick-walled house). In summer, we do not need to use air conditioning (AC) because the straw material capable of cooling the space inside naturally.

2. Silencers and Fire
Insulation from straw materials have the ability to muffle the sound from the outside so that the space inside can be more comfortable. If the rolls are prepared very dense hay, straw so difficult to burn because the oxygen a little. Houses with thatched material can be three times more fire resistant than ordinary houses. But be careful when there is loose straw or sloppy, because the house so flammable.

3. Environmentally Friendly and Healthy
Straw is a natural material like wood base composition, its structure is very strong. As an agricultural byproduct, straw is too much is usually burned or poured into the river causing pollution. With the use of building materials, means we have reduced the amount of pollutants. In addition, natural ingredients are healthier for occupants than the materials of industrial products containing chemicals.

However, straw is not very resistant to water and humid environments because it will trigger the growth of fungi. Fungus produces enzymes that eat the cellulose in straw. Like bamboo, straw construction can be strong and durable with a certain treatment, such as the bottom of the building does not directly touch the soil and create good air circulation. See also ‘Natural Materials to Build House‘.

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