Neil Turner, Technical Manager at Ecological Building Systems, looks at how self-builders are increasingly choosing straw wall panels as a sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials.
“Straw has been utilised as a building material in the UK for thousands of years because of its unique cellular structure, which means, when compressed, it offers strength and thermal performance properties.
Back in medieval times, straw was added to wattle and daub to add tensile strength and help to prevent cracking as the mixture dried. Fast forward to the late 19th Century when the invention of the mechanical baler in the USA made straw bale construction as we know it today possible. Straw could be easily compacted into dense, transportable bales – a construction technique said to have originated in the Nebraska Sandhills region of the United States. Here settlers found they had limited timber and stone, but an abundance of straw, so they made use of load-bearing straw panels to build their homes. Many of these early straw structures still exist today, demonstrating the impressive longevity of this building method.
With the modern-day trend towards net zero building practices, straw wall construction is gaining recognition for its environmental credentials, plus its impressive thermal performance and low embodied energy, which make it a sustainable alternative to conventional building materials. As the construction industry faces criticism for the environmental impact of materials such as concrete, the potential for more sustainable materials like straw wall panels is growing.
Modern straw wall panel construction has evolved far beyond traditional straw building techniques, with the introduction of prefabricated panel systems that revolutionise both efficiency and quality control. Companies like EcoCocon have pioneered this approach, manufacturing precision-engineered panels off-site that meet all modern building performance requirements.
Earlier this year, Ecological Building Systems partnered with EcoCocon to supply its modular wall panels, which are made primarily from compressed straw and timber, to customers in the UK. These panels ensure precision, consistency and scalability — making them a viable solution for both small homes and larger self-build properties.
Thermal performance
Straw is recognised for its very low embodied energy value and is often regarded as both affordable and environmentally responsible.
Modern production techniques used in the creation of pre-fabricated straw wall panels have further improved the material’s performance, delivering a system that creates no thermal bridging, whilst making it easy to achieve airtightness and Passive House requirements.
The acoustic performance of these panels is equally impressive, with straw’s natural density providing excellent sound insulation properties that many conventional materials struggle to match. This makes straw wall panel homes extremely peaceful and comfortable to live in.
In addition, the entire straw wall panel is permeable to vapour, which means it allows excess humidity to escape, so will not cause draughts or create mould. The unique construction of straw wall panels creates a healthy indoor microclimate with consistent temperatures – making them warm in winter and cool in summer, so reducing reliance on mechanical heating and air conditioning.
Excellent System Fire Resistance
Modern prefabricated straw wall panels are also available with REI fire ratings up to 120 minutes (EN13501-2). A single EcoCocon panel with a membrane on the exterior surface will provide fire resistance of 45 minutes, while the complete EcoCocon Straw Wall System can achieve up to 120 minutes’ fire resistance, depending on the use of additional insulation layers and the thickness of insulation.
Build with ease
The off-site manufacturing process for straw wall panels ensures quality control standards that traditional on-site construction methods often cannot guarantee. Each panel undergoes rigorous testing and specification compliance before leaving the factory, eliminating many of the issues that can compromise building performance.
Like any prefabricated system, straw wall panels are quicker and easier to install on site and the panels fit perfectly into place and with no wet processes. The whole building can be assembled in very little time compared to traditional construction. And, with custom-made dimensions, the straw wall panels can fit almost any building design.
Modern straw wall panel construction
Meeting modern building regulations has historically been one of the biggest hurdles for alternative construction methods. However, rigorous testing has consistently demonstrated that well-designed straw buildings don’t just meet the thermal performance requirements of modern building regulations—they frequently exceed them.
Demand for straw panel construction is set to continue and contractors are well placed to take advantage of this trend towards more sustainable construction methods.
The way forward
Straw wall panel construction offers a solution that delivers consistency and quality for self-build homes, while the material itself provides exceptional thermal and acoustic performance that often surpasses conventional alternatives.
It is little wonder that self-builders are recognising the performance benefits of straw wall panels, which could soon be setting the standard for the sustainable new homes of the future.”
Ecological Building Systems is renowned for supplying a variety of resource efficient, natural materials to optimise building performance and durability. Over the last few years, the business has grown significantly through supplying innovative, sustainable, high quality ecological building materials, backed up by expert advice and product training.
The company researches, stocks and supplies high-performance sustainable products with unrivalled technical support.
Ecological Building Systems was set up in County Meath, Ireland in 2000, the UK division was established in 2006 and is based near Carlisle in Cumbria. Ecological’s parent company is MacCann & Byrne, a family-owned company steeped in history having been established on the same premises in Athboy since 1906.