Eco-conscious construction with clay and straw

A green home in green surroundings: for the residents of the eco-village Sieben Linden in Saxony-Anhalt, building with straw is second nature. 15 straw-bale houses already provide homes for some of the village’s roughly 150 inhabitants. 

Building with straw and clay 

One of them is Michael Würfel, a trained carpenter who has lived in Sieben Linden since 2007. He built his own house and is now bringing his expertise to the construction of the next straw-bale home as site manager: “We’re just waiting for the official building permit – then we can get started.” For the walls, tightly packed straw bales are fitted into a timber frame and then plastered with clay. To protect the structure from rain, the walls are finished with a lime render. The relevant building authority has tested the houses for structural stability and fire safety – the first approved straw-bale house has stood here for over 20 years.  

As sustainable as possible 

In Sieben Linden, the community makes a point of using wood, clay and straw from Germany – ideally from nearby. Straw is not only an excellent insulator, it is also a particularly sustainablebuilding material: unlike conventional insulation such as fibreglass, straw is a by-product of cereal farming, absorbs CO₂ as it grows, and can be easily disposed of at the end of its life. But Sieben Linden’s commitment to sustainability goes further than just materials: in order to conserve nature, homes are built on multiple storeys to reduce land use, and sealed surfaces are kept to a minimum. 

The future of the straw bale house 

Michael Würfel sees the village as a model project for developing new building techniques. Over the years, residents have gained a wealth of practical experience. “We share our knowledge of straw-bale buildingthrough workshops and seminars,” says Würfel.