Prefab dream: Stylish building is made out of straw bales

Bristol – An innovative construction method that merges straw bales with prefabricated panels has been unveiled by ModCell, a building company that specialises in prefabrication and carbon-negative building.

The two-storey BaleHaus, on the campus of the University of Bath, is fitted with locally sourced straw and hemp cladding panels that make the structure airtight and mould resistant, and that result in practically no waste during production. The BaleHaus is designed to be dismantled, reused and recycled at the end of a typical 100-year-long life.
 
Balehaus’s unique combination of high energy efficiency, use of renewable materials, and the ability to capture and store carbon in the structure makes for an exciting prospect for the market, says Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, which supports the development.

Read our Innovate case study on the Greenhouse by Joost for more ideas on green construction.