Stra(w)mazing
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
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Project Description
Exploring the full potential of straw construction leaves us with a mind-blowing impression. Once we allow to be reinspired by this amazing building material it will change the way we build houses. It unites qualities of a local, circular and carbon storing building material. Straw holds the power of a regenerating ressource, the power for participatory creation and the power for social networking. It paths the way into a sustainable, aestetic and inclusive future.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
Stra(w)mazing is the idea of bringing the advantages, the methods and techniques of straw as a building material back into the cultural consciousness. As a local and climate positive ressources it has great potential to adress many challenges we are facing in times of social and ecological transformation relating to climate and housing crisis.
The idea is to establish know-how, build up local supply chains and to inspire people to build with this rediscovered traditional building material. Concerning the traditionality we will meet the prejudice attached to traditional straw building and explain why it is a modern and innovative construction technique. For this, we are establishing a podcast that interviews straw building experts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland portraying their experience and knowledge. These interviews furthermore serve as the basis for a travelling exhibition which unites stories of these straw heros, inspiring building projects and an interactive experimental part for visitors to playfully experience the qualities of the natural resources straw and clay.
In order to build up local suppy chains a series of workshop that transport know-how, methods and techniques for constructing with straw bales are planned to start a dialogue and connect important stakeholders: urban administration, farmers, timber industry, craftspeople, interessed people and experts on this technology.
After generating know-how and network a building for social encounter shall be designed and build in a participatory process in a place to be found in the process. The idea of this co-creational process is to bring a community-building into a challenged district in Bayreuth bringing birth to a place to meet and share. Through this pioneer building, people can learn about the technical qualities of straw construction and experience its social power in terms of inclusivness, participation and playfulness.
Key objectives for sustainability
Promoting straw as a building material adresses many different aspects of sustainability. As a natural ressource, it has the capacity to store carbon emission contributing to mitigating climate change. Contrary to other building materials such as cement, which emitts tons of carbon dioxide in the production process due to chemical reactions and energy intensive production, it serves as a carbon sink. Furthermore, its isolative qualities reduce emissions for heating and cooling in the housing sector and in addition, it is a ressource that is locally available in abundance, reducing further emissions from transport.
Straw is also a material that demonstrates the spirit of cirularity. As a biological product straw houses can easily be deconstructed leaving litte to no waste and finaly decomposing to fertile soils. Also, as a residual product in agriculture straw is an excellent material showing how holistic approaches can solve ecological crisis.
Besides the material itself the concept generates sustainable effects in terms of long term knowledge-sharing, networking and change in outlook. The podcasts, the travelling exhibition, the building project and the initiation of a local supply chain contribute to a cultural transformation towards an ecological consciousness.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Part of the concepts are different aspects aiming at different aesthetic experiences.
In the first aspect, the series of podcast interviews, aesthetics and experience are transported through terms of touching and insightful personal stories, visions and hopes that are being shared in the conversations with the experienced interviewees.
In a second aspect, these impressions are visually embedded in the travelling exhibition and supplemented by a playful and explorative space for becoming familiar with the ressource straw. This touches different senses, awakens curiosity and transfers knowledge.
The third aspect, building a multi-functional community-room from straw in a co-creational process, gives experience in a participatory decision and building process allowing the unfolding of communication skills and democratic cooperation.
As a result, in this place to meet and share, many people can experience the aesthetic qualities of a straw building. Its handcrafted walls can be shaped in the co-creational process in artistic forms, integrating colour, mosaics or patterns. And the place allows to become acquainted with the qualities of straw and clay buildings in terms of climate regulating capacities such as moisture and temperature and filtering capacities such as absorping odors.
Key objectives for inclusion
In terms of inclusion meets the concept the challenge of generating social robust knowledge in the field of urban transformation. Societal cooperation regarding co-desgin and co-creation for accepted solutions and innovations developing our future cities arises during the process.
Challenges of climate neutral building are being adresses in the workshop series. By bringing together all interested stakeholders a local network and supply chain can be generated that develops know-how, material ressources and personal capacities for straw building. Including all actors along the supply chain and localizing the processes creates trust and support among the involved parties. It especially reconnects urban and rural areas which reencounter their potential of interaction and mutual benefits.
When building the community-room another aspect of inclusion is being touched. Together with different neighborhood associations and interested individuals the straw-community room will be developed. The process of where, when and how will be discussed and designed together so that in the end a place for encounter comes into existence where it is most needed. This can be in a community-garden or a neighborhood with social housing.
Innovative character
The innovative character is the connection of science, civil society, municipality and economic actors to create know-how, network and inspiration for transforming our cultural consciousness. Ecological building techniques are necessary to grow into a prosperous future for this and following generations. Yet changing pathways from an old to a new system are not easy due to manifested physical, social and mental infrastructures. This concept adresses these challenges and starts locally a transformation process. Building networks, transfering knowldge and provinding amazing experinces are key elements for cultural change. Many of these tools and techniques can then be transfered to other regions and support building local networks for straw construction.
