Back to the Roots: Sustainable Construction, with Straws!

Straw is returning as a sustainable alternative to more commonplace commercial building techniques today.

“It’s astonishing how much better straw is than virtually anything else,” says architect Tom Bassett-Dilley, who designs straw-insulated homes and has extensively studied the energy advantages of using straw in construction.

In a recent study, Bassett-Dilley showed that the carbon emissions released throughout the construction process of a straw-based home are about 80 per cent less than our most popular construction methods used today. What’s more, straw is relatively easy to work, with no radical construction shifts needing to happen to adopt it back into the mainstream. The insulating straw itself is dense and does not seem subject to significant pest, mould, or fire problems. It even helps contribute to a quieter indoor environment and has incredible insulating abilities, keeping spaces warm without additional energy use. The construction world sees that straw is again coming to the forefront as a crucial building material as the world collectively searches for more sustainable solutions.