Go on a course: straw-bale building

It was raining as I made my way to The Magdalen Project and I began to question the sense of building with straw - wouldn't it be huffed, puffed and blown down?

Tutor Rob Buckley assured the class that a straw-bale house can last as long as a brick one. Plus, not only does straw have a low environmental impact, it is easy to use and very cheap - bales only cost around £1.50 (you need 500 for a two-bedroom house).

Armed with the theory, we were raring to build our own ‘house' on the second day. In reality we would have laid foundations, but as we were practising, our base-plate went directly onto a barn floor. We put the first layer of straw bales on top and held them in place with spikes made of hazel. We added more layers and, as the walls got higher, I was thankful that there were three tall men on the course - the bales were very heavy.

Usually, the walls compress by four inches in as many weeks, but we squashed them down artificially and tested their strength by running into them. They were surprisingly solid! The next day they would be ready for lime rendering. I was amazed that we'd built this little house in just a day - I'm now planning a new tool shed.

For more information about the straw-bale building course (you can follow it with a lime-rendering class) at The Magdalen Project, Dorset, call 01460 30144 or visit www.themagdalenproject.org.uk.

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