Designer Atelier Kaiser Shen is incorporating a unique technique for the re-population project initiative in Pfaffenhofen district in Germany. He has made Haus Hoinka, a sustainable House built using 19th century straw bale construction practice. Straw bales and a mixture of clay are the main construction materials of this house.
In the district of Pfaffenhofen, Germany, there is a small house named Haus Hoinka designed by Atelier Kaiser Shen. Mostly the architecture in the village houses is of 16th and 17th century half-timbered houses.
You can find a rustic church setting along with vineyards. Recently, the village center is being re-populated with residential buildings.
The Haus Hoinka is a part of this re-population architectural plan to revise the residential construction in the rural region. To utilize and encourage sustainable building construction materials is the major initiative of this style.
The architects use simple and clean materials that can be recycled easily. Material like straw bales and a mixture of clay plaster is used for the main framework.
They have the potential to be recycled once again into the natural cycle without disturbing the ecosystem. The main framework of the house is built on straw bales. Clay plaster mixture is used as thermal envelope for walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs.
Straw has a much lower climate impact in comparison to traditional insulating materials. Earlier, in the 19th century, straw was mainly used for insulation purposes in construction.
Also, it is easily available and handled. For Haus Hoinka, straw bales are pressed into a wooden framework with 36.5 centimeters thickness. Any excess is cast off with hedge cutters.
To protect straw bales from the floor from water the entire house is raised by a floor. This also helps in dispensing elaborate sealing. Next, the house is placed on a concrete cross with four supports.
Haus Hoinka has a cantilevered wooden building and a stone base. Plus, it features a grain and roof shape like other houses. A flexible floor plan offers the possibility of changes in the future if required.
Do You Know?
Each year around 200 million tons of straw is burned in the United States alone. This adds a high concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. Using this straw instead of burning it will help in cutting down CO2 emission rate.
What are sustainable buildings?
Houses built with the practice of using healthy and more resource efficient models of construction, operation, renovation, demolition, and maintenance are sustainable or green buildings. Schools, business houses, and parks also use sustainable building materials, preferably straw bales.
How is straw bale used in construction?
A sustainable House built using 19th century straw bale construction practice, but how? Basically, it is used in 2 ways: load and non-load bearing.
The load bearing house is the one that uses straw bales to provide structural support to the building. These houses are ideal for mild climates.
A non-bearing house uses lumber or other materials for primary support and bales are used to shape the walls and for insulation purposes. Such houses are ideal for cold climates.
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What are the advantages of a straw bale house?
The practice of using straw bales as construction materials has been around for centuries. With the increasing climate crisis and changes, this practice is being used once again. It is beneficial in many ways.
- Bale straws are a fast-growing and renewable agricultural byproduct.
- It is available in abundance and mostly wasted if not used in construction.
- It contains fewer toxins than conventional materials.
- They have a higher insulation factor that saves you heating and cooling costs.
- Such houses can be easily customized in both senses, creative and practical; as the need of the owner.
- Its price per square foot is reasonable and depends on building methods. But overall, it is economical.
Source: Yanko Design
