Light straw-clay
Large house with the exterior walls entirely built with light straw-clay infill.
A composting toilet. Walls are framed and filled in with light straw-clay. The finish coat is a simple plaster made from clay-soil and sand.
Mixing Clay slip that will be mixed with the straw. This can often also be done in a wheelbarrow with a hoe.
Clay slip is being mixed in with the straw. This can also be done in a wheelbarrow. The proportion is about like "gravy on potatoes."
Tamping light straw-clay, close to the top. Just a short 2x4 is used for the tamping.
The form can be raised immediately after the light straw-clay has been tamped. Use screws for easy fastening and loosening, of apply wood clamps, so you don't have to worry about getting your drill muddy!
The light straw-clay is now ready for a straw-clay plaster. Notice the thin strips of wood (nailed to the studs) that help stabilize the light straw-clay.
Light straw-clay in combination with a timber frame. This little house is in the open-air museum in the Netherlands. Notice the relatively high foundation made out of fired clay brick.
Light straw-clay is used here to fill in an arched entrance into a room. The material lends itself well for renovations such as these.
This is a ceiling, where light straw-clay is used for insulation. Notice that even where there is no reed mat, the material does not fall down. This is due to good compaction and a relatively high clay contents.
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