Family finally starts straw bale house
A house made of straw may not sound like everyone's ideal home – but for one family their ultimate "green dream" home is finally coming together in the Shropshire Hills.
Janta and Merav Wheelhouse's roundhouse made from straw bales and cordwood has been years in the planning and they hope the result will act as an example of how people can build their own green home without breaking the bank.
The couple bought 18 acres of land at Picklescott, near Church Stretton, in 2005 with the dream of creating a place where they could carry out such innovative experiments in green living.
The result, the Karuna Permaculture Project, is not just a place to live, but a place to teach others about what is possible and lead the way in how to live a "low-impact" lifestyle.
Workshops in straw building have been running at the project this week, and those who have signed up to the course have been learning by working on the long-planned roundhouse.
The end result will be a dwelling12 metres in diameter covering an area of 100 square metres, complete with a living turf roof. It will be no makeshift hut. The end result, designed by Philip Pool Building Design, will be a home and office, fully compliant with building regulations and available for visitors to see.
Janta said: "There is a growing interest in eco-buildings but, let's face it, most people can't afford them, even if some are officially classified "affordable".
"We want to show people that living the permaculture dream can be a legitimate reality for those of us who are passionate about living on the land."
"Permaculture" – a combination of the words permanent and agriculture – is a design science for sustainable living through being self-sufficient and eco-friendly.
"We believe that projects like this can provide numerous benefits to society by providing information and inspiration to people from all walks of life," added Janta. "This modest, low-impact building itself is at the heart of a sustainable lifestyle that we believe in and want to see grow."
He said it had been a hard work bringing the project this far, but it had been worth it. Planning permission for the house was granted in 2011, but only after a long and arduous process. All the while the couple have been living in a caravan on the site while they transformed what was grazing farmland into a "diverse multi-functional educational facility that could practice and demonstrate all kinds of permaculture experiments".
They have high hopes for the roundhouse, although it's still uncertain when it will be completed.
Janta said: "We are pleased, at long last, to be looking forward to moving from our accommodation in a small, damp caravan and focus on building a home so that we can enhance, manage and protect the land properly."
He hopes the roundhouse will act as an example and inspiration.
He said: "The house, as well as being a warm and comfortable shelter, will demonstrate alternative building design and techniques including the use of straw bale and cord wood and large scale reciprocal roof.
"This affordable dwelling is going to be fully compliant with national building regulations – meaning our building project at Karuna will play a crucial role in showing the authorities and mainstream public that low-impact structures are a desirable, realistic and affordable option in the UK.
"This will hopefully lead to more people doing things the low-impact way – growing food for themselves and their communities, and educating others on how we can achieve truly sustainable ways of living."
For details visit www.karuna.org.uk or the Karuna Insight Design Facebook page.
