Inside an experimental ‘all straw’ house in upstate New York

LTL Architects has completed All Straw House, an experimental prototype in upstate New York. Developed in collaboration with structural engineers Guy Nordenson and Associates and supported by Princeton University’s Sustainability of Our Planet fund, the project explores the use of highly compacted straw as a structural, insulating, and finish material.

The scheme uses compacted straw boards assembled through a system of cutting, stacking, and compression. According to the team, the boards have an approximate density of 370 kilograms per cubic meter, around three times that of conventional straw bales, and are designed to provide structure and insulation while remaining exposed as an interior finish.

The house was prefabricated over two months at Princeton University’s Architecture Lab with the involvement of student researchers.  Components were then transported and ...