Jeffrey Hart of SBUK shares news about The Big Straw Bale Gathering speakers. A first of its kind event for all things straw-bale building related, find out who’ll be heading to Down to Earth near Swansea from 10-12 August 2018 below.

The majority of our speakers for the Big Straw Bale Gathering are below. We still have a few special guests in the pipeline which will be announced as they are confirmed so do check the SBUK Facebook page for updates. As you can see we have a broad spectrum of speakers lined up, speaking on a wide range of topics.

Name: Barbara Jones

Organisation: Straw Works and The School of Natural Building

Talk title: Straw Trek – The Next Generation

Talk description: A journey through time and spaces

Name: Judith Thornton

Organisation: Aberystwyth University

Talk title: What’s in a bale and why it matters

Talk description: General discussion on what affects straw bale degradability, alternative straws, potential for bale redesign.

Name: Peter Schubert

Organisation: Capital [ A ] architects, Vienna

Talk title: Straw and other regrowing building materials for multi storey housing constructions.

Talk description: Structural possibilities, thermal insulation potential; fire safety of different construction methods using timber, straw, clay, lime plaster, hemp, wood-fibre and cellulose.

Name: Craig White

Organisation: White Design, ModCell

Talk title: We Can Make – Affordable Homes Renewable Materials

Talk description: In a world where an affordable home is the oxymoron of our time and the
property ladder has no rungs, we need new forms of housing models. We Can Make is a new housing initiative that supports communities to create the homes they want and need. Knowle West Media Centre, White Design and ModCell have brought together Knowle West residents, artists, academics, designers, architects, lawyers and policy makers to develop a sustainable, affordable housing platform that will deliver 350, 1 and 2 bedroom homes using a unique disaggregated community land trust model.

Name: Dr Chris Vernon

Organisation: One Planet Council

Talk title: One Planet Development: an opportunity for straw

Talk description: A presentation in two parts. Firstly the One Planet Development planning policy in Wales, the requirements and opportunities it presents for natural building. Secondly I will describe the process we went through designing and building our two story, straw bale house with roundwood timber frame within this policy framework in Carmarthenshire.

Name: Paul Jennings

Organisation: Criafolen Permaculture

Talk title: Permaculture Design for Builders

Talk description: Permaculture design offers a whole site and beyond basis for builders looking to fit their projects sensitively and sustainably into the landscape and community. This lecture will provide a brief look at the application of Permaculture to building, site and settlement design.

Other speakers for whom further details are to be confirmed include:

• Builder and community facilitator Emma Appleton on “How can our businesses be anti-capitalist? And is that even possible?”
• Pete Walker of Bath University
• Peter Beresford & Henrik Saarinen of Structural Solutions

And finally…

5 for 5 – 5 photos in 5 minutes – open to all BSBG Attendees

Have you done something you want to share, have an idea or problem in your build you want to discuss? Here is your chance to show your 5 slides in 5 minutes.

For full details of the Big Straw Bale Gathering and to book tickets, please visit the events section of the Straw-bale Building UK website here.