This Information Paper provides a broad view of the benefits and limitations of straw bale for those considering its use in construction projects.

Straw is a renewable material offering good thermal insulation properties and a much lower environmental impact than many current mainstream construction materials. Straw bale is very suitable as infill insulation for timber-frame buildings with either an external render or timber rainscreen finish. Straw provides a vapour-permeable wall construction using a locally sourced, low-impact material, although it does need careful detailing and construction to avoid the ingress and retention of moisture.

This is one in a series of five Information Papers and parallel case studies on low-impact building materials. The others cover hemp lime, unfired clay masonry, cross-laminated timber and natural fibre insulation.