STRAW BALE BUILDING WORKSHOP

The workshop "straw and clay" took place on the 3rd of September 2017 as part of the summer festival of the ufaFabrik. This consumer event aimed at sensitize the visitors to eco-responsible practices through organic food, craftsmen, fair trade and regional products stands, but also concerts, theater and animations.

The day before the workshop, we had to make a wooden frame matching the size of the straw bales (40x50x100). We also had to prepare the clay that had to be used for the coating. Then we built up a tent because the workshop had to be made out of the rain. On the day, we installed the material.

Visitors joined as soon as the demonstration started. The first two straw bales had to be inserted at the same time by 2 persons, according to a technique which allows to maintain them compacted in the frame. Then, a strap was used to push them at the bottom of the frame. The operation was repeated for the following two bales. For the remaining space, it was necessary to cut a bale. The size to be cut had to be measured. Then needles and thread were used to knot the bale to be kept. The rest of the straw got loose. The remaining straw was used to block interstices between bales. The last two small bales were inserted with the metal plates.

A part of the mixture made the day before was mixed with loam. The amount of loam had to be higher in the first layer than in the second one. Then the young participants spread the coating over the straw.