The Gateway: A Locally Sourced Straw Bale Building
Gateway Building External. Source: Zander Olsen, MAKE.
What is the Gateway Straw Bale Building?
It is a £5.2 million state-of-the-art new building (completed in May 2011) designed by the ever-refreshing MAKE architects for their client the University of Nottigham, bringing together their School of Biosciences and the School of Veterinary and Medical Sciences. The Gateway’s completion marks the primary stage in a twenty-year master-plan aiming to expand the Sutton Bonington Campus, and in so doing, enhance the reputation of the school as the forerunner in the study of plant and animal science. The design accommodates a panoply of functions (offices, laboratories, seminar and computer rooms) as well as a range of users; from student to researcher, teacher to administration.
The Straw Bales panels. Source: Zander Olsen, MAKE
Underlying the design are efficiency and a strong sustainability policy. The floorplate maximises the space to achieve an impressive 80 per cent efficiency, while the facade is formed from prefabricated modular straw bale panels which pay tribute to the campus’ agricultural heritage. The 14m long panels are locally produced using straw from the University’s very own farmland and they consist of a cross-laminated timber frame packed with compressed straw. The external finish utilises render as a breathable coating which protects the straw from the external environment, preventing decay.
Further to the materials, the entire project seems to have been built on a locally-sourcing ethos so far as to include consultants, contractors, sub-contractors and the majority of construction supplies. All sourced from the Nottinghamshire area.
To comprehend the straw bale process in more detail, watch this awesome little animation made by MAKE. It should tickle your funny-bone.
MORE PHOTOS:
Source: Zander Olsen, MAKE
Source: Zander Olsen, MAKE
Source: Zander Olsen, MAKE
Source: Zander Olsen, MAKE
[...] Urban Greenery, London-based environmental artist Anna Garforth takes upon similar values of sustainability. Her first moss art project, Sporeborne, incorporates typography art with urban ecology in a [...]