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A new public building, composed mainly of load-bearing straw, is under construction in Villeurbanne, near Lyon. An innovative ecological technology which an association has made its specialty. #TheyHaveTheSolution
A straw house that rises in the middle of the many buildings of Villeurbanne. The construction site is surprising. But the most amazing thing is that the technique used, the carrier straw, avoids using wood, a precious resource to be saved in the years to come. The boots are compressed. “The interest is to use the bale of straw for its structural capacity. So, instead of having regular posts and bales of straw inserted inside, we build directly as if we were using stones “, explains Cédric Hanelin, president of the Nebraska association, which has been campaigning for the development of this construction technique for 20 years.
This site is open to anyone who is curious. “Building in bales of straw means going back to old techniques that have existed. For me, it’s almost a utopia that comes true”, enthuses this volunteer.
In a few weeks, the straw house will welcome the public. An idea supported and financed by Rhône Saône Habitat. The housing organization which is going to build new buildings in the neighborhood wants to make it a place of welcome and reflection with the inhabitants.
“We are here to learn. It is by meeting the actors, by touching the materials that we will understand and see what we can do with them. We are convinced that the environmental transition is underway and that it is necessary to speed it up. We have high hopes for new materials”, concludes Arnaud Cécillon, general manager of Rhône Saône Habitat.