Renewable Materials: Strawbale Panels & Biophilic Design – Talina Edwards, Envirotecture

If you thought that straw bales were only for DIY backyard builders, think again.

In today’s episode we move onto our next sustainable design theme - renewable materials.

We’ll investigate the design of a new certified Passive House built from Huff’n’Puff SITUP strawbale wall panels. This house is located on an off grid site in the cool temperate Victorian high country.

Architect Talina Edwards, a director at Envirotecture, shares the inside story on her Huff’n’Puff Haus.

Today we’ll learn about:

• Biophilic design and our intrinsic connection with nature, Country and our planet
• The costs and benefits of using straw bale panels and their role in construction
• Strategies to achieve Net Zero carbon, and
• A wealth of insights and practical information drawn from Talina’s extensive experience

Australian Architects can earn formal CPD hours by listening to these podcasts and completing an online quiz.

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript edited into clear Q&A.
• CPD Australian architects can find more information on CPD, and
• COURSES Eleven easy to read courses demystifying the entire home design and construction process.

KEY POINTS SUMMARY

1. Biophilic design is linked to care for Country and an understanding that we are part of nature and intrinsically linked with our planet. If we don't care for Mother Earth, she can't keep caring for us. It's a reciprocal relationship of being present, responsible and caring. Like we take responsibility to care for our family.

We feel better when we're outside in nature, but most of us spend around 80% of our time indoors. Biophilic design is about creating indoor environments that help us feel closer to nature and the outdoors through ideas such as plants, natural light, textures and materials. But it's critical to be very mindful of how our design choices affect the environment. Because remember, it's not only about what is good for us, it's a reciprocal relationship.

2. The primary driver for using straw bale panels is to create maximum wall insulation in colder or more extreme climate zones. Other benefits include being a renewable material, low embodied carbon and reuse of a waste product from the agricultural industry.

3. Huff n Puff straw bale wall panels are made from straw bales tightly fitted inside plywood box frames. The panels are typically 350 - 450mm thick, approximately 600 - 1200mm wide and 2.5 – 3m high depending on the project requirements and they're engineered to be load bearing.

4. Lime mortar or clay mortar can be used on the exterior or interior to seal the straw...