Description
The project aims at eliminating various social problems such as poverty, energy vulnerability, unemployment, disintegration of communities as well as the fostering of sustainable development by the means of promoting network-based eco-architecture techniques of straw building. A cross-sectoral network will be created consisting of professional and civil society organizations in order to ensure effective interest representation. Benefits of the project will be provided for NGOs, universities, municipalities whom will be connected as partners, target groups, and eco-architecture appliers.
Summary of project results
The project aimed contributing to the solution of such problems as energy poverty, the negative tendencies of the domestic housing stock and construction industry and the challenges of the fulfillment of EU energy requirements by a general level of popularization of straw bale architecture, R&D activities and advocacy. The main goal was to set up a network based on active cooperation between different stakeholders needed for the spreading of the technology. During the implementation, extensive networking work was carried out, addressing directly more than 1,500 potential local governments, NGOs, financial institutions, architects and construction companies for whom, to promote cooperation and exchange of views, 3 sectoral and 2 intersectoral professional workshops were held. The promoters’ original plan was also to establish a cluster by the end of the project, but it failed due to the insufficient number of committed actors and the lack of adequate manufacturing capacity. In cooperation with involved architects and university researchers the project has executed 5 major R&D tasks: developing a self-developed 15 cm thick straw-based thermal insulation system; developing the concept of an educational module that encompasses environmentally conscious architectural knowledge; designing a straw bale building type design; the possibilities of the adaptation of a bale block system; and the standardization of an insulation system combining straw technology with the most updated laser based analytical methodologies. In addition, the implementers conducted an intense web2 campaign and compiled a database of domestic straw construction investments (house or insulation), out of which which 837 were identified and presented in map form at by the end of the project. Beside, in terms of advocacy they tried to engage and get the support of the Presidential Office for straw architecture – though, it has proved to be a less successful attempt.
Summary of bilateral results