What are the environmental impacts of building with Straw? - John Butler - BS064
John Butler is back for another episode, this time focussing on 'natural' materials and their whole life carbon.
Topics include:
- What natural means, is it a useful descriptor?
- The results from a new UK Straw Bale Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
- Is there enough straw to build a reasonable quantity of homes with?
- Why is John called the woodlouse?
This episode has associated graphs to peruse on the BSP website: https://www.buildingsustainabilitypodcast.com/what-is-the-environmental-impact-of-building-with-straw-bales
Support the podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/buildingsustainability
Episode Links:
- The Straw EPD - http://schoolofnaturalbuilding.co.uk/epd-straw-as-insulation-material/
- Upstraw Project - https://www.nweurope.eu/projects/project-search/up-straw-urban-and-public-buildings-in-straw/
- John's blog - What is thermal bridging and does it matter? - https://www.sustainablebuildconsultancy.com/blog/what-is-thermal-bridging\
- John's blog - Natural Vs Sustainable video - https://www.sustainablebuildconsultancy.com/blog/natural-vs-sustainable-in-film-form
- John's blog - Is there enough straw to build with? - https://www.sustainablebuildconsultancy.com/blog/isthereenoughstraw
- ICE embodied carbon database - https://circularecology.com/news/the-ice-embodied-carbon-database-is-now-hosted-for-download-by-circular-ecology
- Map of straw bale homes in Europe - https://strawbuilding.eu/strawbale-houses-europe/
- Chris Magwood Episode - https://www.buildingsustainabilitypodcast.com/how-buildings-are-going-to-save-the-world-chris-magwood-bs044/
Connect with me
IG - @jeffreythenaturalbuilder
Twitter - @JNaturalBuilder
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John Butler
Conduit of geek
Certified Passivhaus Consultant and AECB Carbonlite Retrofit graduate.
Hands-on experience of retrofit and new-build, combined with technical and theoretical knowledge of materials, thermal comfort, building physics, and environmental impact of construction.
Background: a long term interest in sustainability led me from my past career making pots and building kilns to a low-energy self-build retrofit project. It was a rapid introduction to sustainable construction, and the factors affecting material and design choices.
From there I went on to an MSc in Sustainability Adaptation and the Built Environment, from the Centre for Alternative Technology’s (CAT) inspiring Graduate School of the Environment. I have returned regularly to CAT as a visiting lecturer and workshop leader on the MSc and MArch programs.
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