Hastoe to film 'straw bale' homes build process

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing

Housing group Hastoe is to film the building process of new 'straw bale' homes in Essex as a time lapse for other housing providers to learn about the process.

The four homes, at Millfield, High Ongar, will be the first development of straw bale housing to be built in Britain by a housing association.

Two two-bedroom and two three-bedroom houmes are being developed by Hastoe in partnership with Epping Forest District Council, on former council-owned land.

The land was transferred to Hastoe at a discounted price, and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is contributing a grant of £92,000 towards the building costs. The properties are being developed by DCH, a local contractor, and work will start within the next couple of weeks. The four houses will be completed in March 2013 and will be let at affordable rents to families on the council’s housing register.

According to Hastoe, there are a number of benefits of using straw bales to build the houses. In particular, whilst the costs of construction are similar to those of conventional methods, houses built using straw bales need almost no conventional heating due to their exceptionally high insulation levels.

Tenants will benefit from fuel costs around 85% cheaper than the average costs for heating similar homes of traditional construction.

Structural parts of the houses, such as the walls, will be built using timber frames, in-filled with the straw bales. The walls will be covered externally, with a lime render.

Hastoe say the character of the straw bales houses will suit the rural location of the site at Millfield, overlooking farmers’ fields.

Since the straw absorbs carbon dioxide as it is growing, it is widely accepted that buildings of this type of construction have a low, zero or even negative carbon footprint. When complete, the high level of energy efficiency will reduce CO2 emissions by around 60%, compared to conventionally-built homes.

The straw bales used for construction are a sustainable by-product of farming, and every effort will be made to source the bales locally. Tests on other straw bale structures by the University of Bath have established that they are strong enough to withstand hurricane force winds up to 120mph. They also have a fire rating at least double that required by Building Regulations.

"We are very pleased that the first straw bale houses in the country built by a housing association will be in the Epping Forest District, and that the Council has played such an important part in the success of the project so far” said Councillor Maggie McEwen, the council’s Housing Portfolio Holder.

“The reduced fuel costs will be an enormous help for families on low incomes, and we are very pleased to be at the forefront of such an eco-friendly scheme."

Hastoe's Chief Executive, Sue Chalkley, said: "We look forward to starting work on these straw bales homes as this is an exemplar project. Hastoe is committed to providing affordable housing in rural areas for the benefit of local people. Sustainability is a key part of our approach and this is mirrored by Epping Forest District Council’s drive for highly energy efficient homes. We have been through an extensive design and planning process to ensure that the new homes will be a real benefit to the community."