Building dreams of eco straw structure

7:00pm Wednesday 27th September 2006

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A HUFF and puff won't be enough to blow down a straw house designed and constructed by degree students.

The proposed 4,800sq ft single-storey building is part of a Blackburn College sustainable construction course project to create a permanent environmentally-friendly structure that will last into the next century.

The building, to be used by Scouts from across East Lancashire, will be made from stacked straw bales secured with hazel branches and braced with timber beams. The exterior walls will be rendered with lime to keep the rain out and interior walls will be plastered with clay to protect against fire. The foundations will be made from old car tyres filled with stones and it will have a timber roof.

"There will be nothing like it in the North West," said Steve Wright, head of science and technology at the college.

"It will be a living, breathing building which we can study and discover how the least energy can be expended, not only in the construction process but also in the ongoing use of the building. We hope the finished building is as near to zero-carbon as possible."

The building will be sited at Bowley Scout Camp, off Dean Lane, Great Harwood, and will have meeting rooms, teaching facilities and sleeping accommodation, all with wheelchair access.

It will also be used to test out new building technologies utilising the latest in low cost, low energy solar and wind powered eco systems.

The foundation degree students will be responsible for coming up with the finalised plans for the estimated £40,000 building. Construction specialist Peter Howarth and environmental scientist Dr Steve Kirkup will head the team and the East Lancashire Scouts Association, who will use the building, will provide youngsters to work as volunteer labourers.

Howard Alderson-Perkins, of East Lancashire Scout Council, said: "This is a unique scheme and we hope to have hundreds of young people working on it as part of the 100 Gifts to Lancashire project we are undertaking next year to celebrate the Scout Association's centenary.

"It's unlikely that we could ever afford to do this ourselves so the partnership with the college is wonderful."

Planning permission for the building will be sought from Hyndburn Borough Council over the next few weeks. It is hoped initial building work will start in March and be completed by the end of the academic term.