New Strawbale Homes
If you’ve found your perfect location, and you desire a more grounded and sustainable home offering so many benefits, then a strawbale home is a very good option. The accepted method of construction for strawbale projects to comply with New Zealand earthquake and local building authority requirements has been honed over the past decade by a few key people. With Holloway Construction’s body of work in this field we have the contacts and experience to get your strawbale project off the page, through the council consent process, and into reality.
Strawbale houses can be unique
Breaking away from the conventional construction methods can be challenging, however designing with strawbale provides the opportunity for a more grounded and organic aesthetic. The simple nature of the predominant curves allows the design to mould into the landscape with a softer edge. Strawbale houses are well suited to modern architectural designs, creating sophisticated low impact housing that can perfectly blend indoor and outdoor living.
Strawbale Houses are energy efficient and well insulated
The insulation factor of strawbale is up to R9, over three times the required NZ standard. This, coupled with good design, gives the potential to achieve an extremely energy-efficient home. Being both cool in summer and warm in winter, these homes breathe wonderfully, creating a harmonious living environment. Although building costs are not less than standard forms of construction, the economic savings are repetitively seen in the lower running costs over the life of the house. These homes are keepers, generally built for long-term usage.
Healthier homes thanks to straw
As a material, straw is both local and renewable; allowing us to construct a sustainable and safe building with a lower carbon footprint. The plaster render is of a lime and clay mix. This is a breathable product that binds with the strawbale to provide a soft fresh living environment, enhancing wellbeing. Strawbale houses are naturally fire-retardant due to the compressed bales being fire-resistant. They do not hold enough air to permit combustion.
Strawbale homes offer healthy living as they’re non-toxic, unlike conventional building materials which can contain known poisons and carcinogens. Straw houses have the ability to reduce the intrusion of EMF (electromagnetic frequencies) into the dwelling due to the mass of the straw, and with a deep wall space, strawbale houses are also exceptionally resilient to earthquake damage.
Building sustainable homes through smart design and better builds
In these changing times, it is overwhelmingly obvious that the greatest action we can do in construction is to design and build energy-efficient homes. For instance, capturing light and heat to a well-insulated, internal thermal mass structure will enhance comfort and economic benefits. With a single upfront cost and no maintenance, it will give back every day. We believe in taking the time to think and plan, before we start, producing smart designs that extend the life and efficiency of the home.
Combined with other practices, we can create ultra-low energy buildings that are incredibly energy efficient and incredibly comfortable to live in, no matter how harsh the weather conditions, every season.
Strawbale off-grid home testimonial
'Designed by architect Richard Weldon in consultation with the owners Duncan and Susie, Holloway Construction built an off-the-grid home for the Kenderdines in Tarras. Its main power is from solar panels and it is designed around thermo-mass principles.
‘Brendan and his team tackled this novel project with interest and gusto! Manipulating sustainable materials of straw bales, cob and lime plaster into clean rectilinear shapes needed someone prepared to take up the challenge, and Brendan managed just that!’
- Duncan Kenderdine.
Experienced Wanaka Builders
Holloway Construction believes in working closely with our clients, structural engineers and architects to bring their vision to life, safely and functionally. The team are fully up to speed with the latest in strawbale house construction and bring with them significant experience when it comes to undertaking any project.
Holloway Construction is a company of reputable builders who know the process and know what matters when it comes to constructing strawbale houses. With Central Otago being a dry climate, we are in an ideal area for strawbale with these homes now becoming a respected form of construction in the region. This is particularly evident with projects now going through the local building authorities unhindered. Holloway Construction works with reputable structural engineers and experienced architects who are well respected in the industry.
Strawbale houses are a forever home
The rewards of building a strawbale home are felt in the comfort of the living experience, the economic benefits in the ongoing running costs of the building, and more. Contact Holloway Construction today to talk about your options.
