Description
Existing problems are the general lack of knowledge and dim ideas on straw construction as an important facilitator of environmental sustainability. Project is needed to spread straw construction and contribute to environmental sustainability by decreasing the lack of knowledge. Objectives: facilitation of attitude change and sustainability by promoting straw construction,civic participation,civic-civic cooperation. Outcomes: target groups’ change of mind will enhance spread of straw construction and contribute to environmental sustainability. The project addresses challenges by reduction of lack of knowledge, targeted knowledge transfer and customized approaches for different target groups. Direct target groups: authorities, decision makers, civilians and builders. Indirect target group: population, which will have long term benefits from utilizing sustainable technologies. Volunteers and professionals will cooperate to get involved in decision making processes (civic interests), civic-civic and civic-citizen relations.
Summary of project results
Mainly through information and capacity building the project addressed the unpopularity of the straw-bale architecture resulting from a non-/adequately informed adverse regulatory and decision-making environment, though, the technology could responds to the challenges of environmental sustainability and the increasing effects of climate change in various means. Promoters held an information road-show with a series of lectures and debates in nine different cities and a national conference for the relevant professional and decision-making target groups, paying particular attention to official administrators. Beside actual legal issues best practices and opportunities of the straw-bale technologies were also presented to them, thereby contributing to the elimination of misconceptions and misinformation that are important barriers to permitting. On its website a strawhouse database was developed (with more detailed data sheets), while the technology was promoted among NGOs through an insulation project for which the organization was selected through an open call. The action was held with demonstration purposes and executed in a two-step process that provided more than a dozen of people with the opportunity to gain experience in applying the technology. In sum, the project contributed to the popularization of straw construction in Hungary made important efforts for "authority sensitization". The insulation workshop has shown exemplary co-operation in civil-civic cooperation and provided a good opportunity to make more stakeholders familiar with the technology.
Summary of bilateral results