Essex is the home of the first UK housing association to build a small housing development out of straw bales.
The four homes in High Ongar have exceptional insulating properties and the residents will benefit from fuel costs that are nearly 90% less than for a similar home made from traditional construction materials.
Michelle Austin, who lives in one of the family homes, says: "We couldn't ask for a better house. It was cool in summer, and now it's really warm and we don't even have the heating on."
The two and three-bedroom homes were developed by Hastoe Housing Association, working in partnership with Epping Forest council. The homes were let at affordable rents to families on the council's housing register.
The straw bales, a sustainable by-product of farming, were sourced from a local farm. Straw absorbs carbon dioxide and so has a low carbon footprint when used as a building material. Hastoe further reduced the carbon footprint of the development by using local builders.
Tests on straw bale structures by the University of Bath suggest they are strong enough to withstand hurricane force winds up to 120mph. The High Ongar homes also have a fire rating at least double that required by national building regulations and the walls have been covered externally with a lime render. Although the homes have used many natural materials in their construction, they still have the appearance of a conventional home.
Recognising that housing accounts for nearly a third of the UK's total annual energy consumption Hastoe, in addition to High Ongar, is working to develop an expanding portfolio of homes that meet at least level four in the Code for Sustainable Housing. They also have two award-winning Passivhaus developments, with a further four to be completed by 2014.
Nicolette Fox is part of the wordworks network
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