https://roundme.com/tour/462275/view/1583720
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MhPoU3nsJM
Aim of Case Study
In this case study we will learn how a very modest material, the straw, can become the main ingredient of a passive (very low energy loss) house. The houses with straw walls from the BioBuilds company are certified by The Passive House Institute from Germany for their energy efficiency.
Case Study
The main motivation for starting the BioBuild project was health. The kids of the founder of BioBuilds had respiratory problems, so he decided to build a house with very few chemical elements, and good air inside. The goal was for the indoor air in a house to be at least as healthy as the air outside, being filtered from allergens, and dust. He also wanted to obtain a passive house with very little energy consumption for heating, and ventilation. The company now builds prefab houses with walls made from compressed straw, and thanks to the ventilation system, all the air in the house is changed once every 120 minutes while keeping the ideal temperature, and humidity.
The straw walls are a very good example of ecological transition. The construction sector generates 39% of all CO2 emissions; their production process makes prefab houses very sustainable. Having a Biobuild prefab Straw house means saving 20 tons of CO2e during construction thanks to natural materials such as wood, and straw that store CO2e, and because it is a prefabricated dwelling. In addition, you will save 250 tons of CO2e throughout the house life due to the low energy demand, only 10% of the consumption of a typical home.
Another critical aspect of the prefab BioBuilds houses is that it takes just five months from starting the production of the walls to the moment when the house can be raised, and installed on the land. This further reduces the energy, and CO2e by eliminating the time spent on increasing the house with concrete brought from a remote place to the site or by multiple means of transporting other materials. So logistically, it is much more efficient.
The next step for the BioBuilds company is to raise a complex of houses. They have so much faith in their energy efficiency that they offer to the new owners to pay all the bills for the first ten years for water, and electricity.
Key Take-Aways
Renewable material
Straw walls
Passive house
Healthy indoor air
Learning Outcome
This case study shows that it is possible to come up with highly innovative solutions in a classical industry that takes advantage of new types of processes and industry standards. All of this can be done while also increasing the sustainability and reducing dramatically the energy consumption both of building the house and of living in it.
insert email / contacts
Tel.: +4-0733 880 250 / biobuilds.com/contact
