Let me start by answering one important question:
Q. Is Agriboard trying to replace straw bale houses?
A. Absolutely not!
Straw bale houses are undeniably cool (literally and figuratively) and have their own unique charm, but when it comes to meeting the demands of rapidly growing populations and urgent housing needs, the speed of prefab straw panel construction becomes a crucial advantage.
The world is facing various challenges, including housing shortages in many regions, natural disasters, and the need for sustainable, energy-efficient housing solutions. In such situations, swiftness and efficiency can be a game-changer!
While straw bale construction has multiple merits in the same way that traditional adobe houses or log cabins do, it may not always be feasible or practical in scenarios that require quick, scalable, and standardized construction methods. Agriboard Green Building Systems has taken this age-old, proven building material and created a way to mass produce it using 21st century technology to make it faster, safer and stronger. We have spent many years and many millions of dollars on research and development to create a superior compressed straw by using heat, steam and compression.
Here are a few reasons we wanted to be able to mass produce compressed straw panels:
Emergency and Disaster Response: During natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes, there is an urgent need for temporary or permanent housing solutions for affected communities. Agriboard panels can be quickly produced and transported to disaster-stricken areas, allowing for rapid deployment and construction of emergency shelters.
Affordable Housing: The world is facing a housing affordability crisis in many urban centers. Agriboard Green Building Systems' construction can help address this issue by offering a cost-effective and efficient way to build eco-friendly, energy-efficient homes.
Climate Change and Sustainability: As the impacts of climate change become more pronounced, there is an urgent need to reduce the carbon footprint of construction. Our system offers A Smarter Way to Build which inherently promotes sustainability by optimizing material usage, reducing waste, and minimizing energy consumption, especially when we distribute our mills all over the world in order to be close to where the straw is produced.
Rapid Urbanization: Many regions are experiencing rapid urbanization, leading to an increased demand for housing. Traditional construction methods may not be able to keep up with the pace at which new homes are required. Agriboard panels, with their streamlined manufacturing process and quick assembly, offer a viable solution to meet the housing demands of growing urban populations.
So, I will continue to watch every YouTube video about straw bale homes and I will check out the straw bale houses available on AirBnb. I will happily agree that La maison Feuillette, at over 100 years old, is one of the most gorgeous straw built homes in history. However, in order for us to really take advantage of this amazing, carbon-negative, bio-based building material we need to make it available at a large enough scale so that everyone can use it easily, quickly and affordably.