Monarch Architecture is thrilled to report construction is well underway on a prefabricated straw bale panel structure! This ~500 sf cabin is a collaborative effort between Monarch Architecture and newly formed Building Integrity, LLC. Monarch’s owner, Adrienne Stolwyk, is a co-founder of Building Integrity, a straw bale panel fabrication and construction company trained in straw bale panel production methods by Vermont-based New Frameworks, LLC.
Through the process of building her straw bale Accessory Dwelling Unit, as well as participating in the construction of many other straw bale homes, Adrienne has become convinced that prefabricated straw bale construction can help turn straw, an environmentally amazing but niche building material, into a scalable building product that can easily merge with conventional construction. Site-built straw bale construction methods are labor-intensive, susceptible to rain damage, and require unusual coordination strategies with some trades like plumbers and electricians. Prefabricated straw bale panels are constructed off-site in a weather protected facility and then shipped to the building site. The panels are quickly lifted into place so the roof can be constructed shortly thereafter, mitigating rain damage concerns. A structural frame forms a “cage” that the straw is compressed into. The framing members on the interior and exterior allow the panels to easily receive conventional exterior siding on a rainscreen and drywall on the interior, over a furring chase where plumbing and electrical lines are easily run. However, the panels can also be designed to use plaster on the interior or exterior (or both sides) of the wall.
Understanding the benefits of building with straw*, as well as the ease of construction of prefab straw panels, the owner-builder clients (who also own nearby Cultivate Co) decided to proceed with the project using prefabricated straw bale panels! The owners came to Monarch with the cabin design largely worked out. Monarch completed the architectural design and then coordinated the panel layout, engineering, and shop drawings.
To our knowledge, this is the first prefabricated straw bale panel structure in Missouri (and likely many surrounding states)! Prefabricated straw panels for single family homes and multi-story, multi-family applications has been growing in popularity in Europe for over a decade. However, as this map shows, panel producers in the US are lacking, hence the impetus for Building Integrity to form. Monarch Architecture is eager to collaborate with more clients looking to use this exciting building method!
