Workshop

The Straw Bale House

Project developed by:

Eco Habitat Assoc.

Content:

1. Who we are:

• The Eco Habitat Association

• The Glodeanu Cârlig Parish

2. Context

• Community Problems

• Effects on Children

3. Vision

• E-cohabitation

• Objectives

• Project description

• Relevance

4. Solution

• Implementation period

• Short-term results

• Impact on community

• Long-term impact

5. How can you be part of our project

Who we are:

The Eco Habitat Association was founded in 2011 and is made of a group of young people with specializations in various fields(architecture, construction, history, arts).

We endorse programs which aim to:• educate the Romanian society as regards sustainable living;• offer concrete, legal and viable, sustainable living alternatives;

• promote 'green' building in Romania;

• protect the habitat by improving environmental policies.

The Glodeanu-Cârlig Parish:• initiated activities through which needy families resident in the Glodeanu-Siliştea Commune from Buzău county, Romania,

received aid;• made all necessary arrangements to begin the construction of the day care center / social canteen where children will receive

meals daily, will be able to do their homework and play in a hygienic environment, under adult supervision;

• drilled a deep well in the Cârligu Mare village to ensure the necessary potable water for the families resident here;• drilled a deep well in the Cârligu Mare village to ensure the necessary potable water for the families resident here;

• runs various counseling and material aid programs for the resident;• initiates various activities for children (camps, trips, medical visits).

Context:

-The Glodeanu-Siliştea Commune is about 90km

North-East from Bucharest, in the Bărăgan Plain;

- The place has quite a troublesome history: located on

the main road between Bucharest and Buzău, the

villages of this commune have always been exposed

to wars; for this reason people have often had to

relocate, so they preferred to build their houses with

local materials (earth, straw), as simply as possible;

they have also sought the protection of large

landowners whose mansions are still preserved

(although in a precareous state);(although in a precareous state);

- The region reached its climax during the reign of

Alexandru Ioan Cuza (late 19th century), when the

peasants received their own land;

- During the communist period, several standard brick

houses were built for Agricultural Production

Cooperative (CAP) workers, houses which were

difficult to heat during winter;

- The decadence of the Commune began with the fall

of communism and privatization – lands were bought

by non-residents and locals were left without any

income apart from CAP pensions.

Community Problems:

- economically speaking, the villagers rely exclusively onsubsistence agriculture, which does not ensure adecent living.

Families from Glodeanu-Siliştea Commune:

- do not have potable water (due to exploitation withchemicals in recent decades, the groundwater iscontaminated);

- do not have decent living conditions (there are noutilities except for electricity, the 30-80 year old housesare severely damaged);

- do not have stable jobs (the majority work as day-laborers, frequently paid with food products);

- are predisposed to social abandonment, alcoholism andlow social cohesion due to the conditions mentioned;

- are confronted with high heating costs in winter due tothe low thermal efficiency of their homes, costs thatmost of them can not afford.

Effects on Children:

- 21 children from the village of Cârligu Mare,

Glodeanu – Siliştea Commune, suffer from hunger

every day. Other 11 children from neighboring

villages go through similar ordeals as their daily

meals often reduce to a piece of polenta or bread.

The youngest is a few months and the oldest 13

years old;

- There are two families where children are cared for

by mothers who are mentally ill - this has influenced

the development of children;

- Some children are sick (some of them suffer from

very serious diseases such as epilepsy). One year,

a family passed the winter without heating and

windows in the house. Their child now suffers from

kidney illness;

- All children come from poor families and the

conditions in which most children are kept are

precarious : misery, sickness, poverty.

Vision:

- E-cohabitat:

The project supports suffering children and

has two lines of development:

A. the social line (cohabitat)- The aim is to tighten community bonds by bringing certain disadvantaged families in the vicinity of the new day care

center for children. This can be done by building a group of houses on the nearby land provided by the parish. Here,families will receive housing, drinkable water, at least one meal per day provided by the day center, and the childrenwill benefit from decent living and educational conditions. In addition, these families will be able to take into care otherchildren from neighboring villages who risk ending up in an orphanage. At the same time, communication and mutualaid between families will be encouraged, which will trigger a rising level of social cohesion.

B. the architectural line (environmentally friendly)- from the architectural and environmental point of view, the houses will ensure the necessary hygienic conditions and

utilities, at the same time being energy efficient so as to reduce maintenance costs. Building materials will consistmostly in local resources, thus reducing production and transportation costs etc.

Objectives:

- to create a cohesive community;

- to create favorable living conditions for children;

- to improving quality of life as regards accommodation conditions;

- to ensure cost efficiency as regards accommodation;

- to promote ‘green’ technologies, materials and products in the design, construction and maintenance of

buildings as an alternative to the currently used materials;

- to enhance awareness of consumption, energy efficiency, the multiple uses of natural materials, global- to enhance awareness of consumption, energy efficiency, the multiple uses of natural materials, global

thinking (impact on the future), reuse, recycling, accessibility;

- to prepare the ground for the implementation of the future 2015-2020 European environmental standards

(to be applied in Romania too) based on the scheme: INFORMATION - KNOWLEDGE - APPLICATION

Project description:

WHEN: from 23 July to 12 August 2012

WHERE: in the Cârligu Mare Village, Glodeanu Siliştea Commune, Buzau County, Romania

WHAT: The project consists in building one of the first homes destined for the community of disadvantaged

families. The house will be built from traditional materials such as straw bales and earth together with other

new materials, used in modern techniques. The house will be the first of its kind in Romania

WHO: volunteers

“The Straw bale house” is a workshop which is addressed to those who want to learn to build and use

sustainable materials, thus recalling that the overall objectives of the event are to promote environmentally-

friendly materials, technologies and green buildings.

The house is half-built in Tom Rijven’s technique. We will continue with the same technique for the rest of theThe house is half-built in Tom Rijven’s technique. We will continue with the same technique for the rest of the

walls. Also, we will make all the installations, windows and doors, clay plastering (base and finishing layers)

and roof. Please check some photos on http://mystraw-balehome.blogspot.com/

Why a straw bale house in Romania?

- It uses a low-cost technology;

- It is resistant to seismic activity;

- It uses local materials � resource efficiency;

- Straw is a local material close to tradition;

- It offers thermal comfort;

- It is resistant to fire;

- It Is soundproofed;

- The site is in the Bărăgan Plain � open market for straw.

Project relevance:

- SOCIALLY:- It takes a first step towards creating decent living conditions for the 5,000 inhabitant of the Commune;

- It will facilitate the tightening of the bonds between the families in question, which are prone to cooperationand mutual assistance;

- ENVIRONMENTALLY:- It implements the know-how of building an efficient and environmentally-friendly house;

- It demonstrates the way in which dwelings can be built from local natural resources;

- It ensures an optimum ratio between efficiency and functionality through the building materials employedwith the aim to guarantee the best living conditions throughout the life cycle of the building;

- EDUCATIONALLY:- Children will be given the chance to grow as members of a cohesive community; they will have a better

access to education and their daily needs will be satisfied (both the physiological needs and thepsychological ones).psychological ones).

Opportunities:- to implement thermal efficency systems and to demonstrate they way they work;- to illustrate the multiple uses of environmentally-friendly systems at national level;- to develop information materials on the materials, equipments and solutions employed;- Participants will:

- get to know the theory and practice of straw bale building, clay plastering and building green roofs;

- be familiarized with the concepts and principles related to sustainability, environmental friendliness, passivebuildings, all of these by hands-on approach (applying current techniques and using sustainableenvironmentally-friendly resources).

Solution:

Implementation period for the first house to be built:

- building the house - September - October 2011;

- finishing – autum of 2012.

Short term results:

- a house for the Petre family, who will be able to move in by winter/ spring time;

- helping the family move near the day care center, within the E-cohabitation community;

- the Petre family will be able to take into care other children who wil be living in the same house.

Impact on the community:

- setting an example, encouragement, stimulation;

- educating mentalities;

- tightening social cohesion;

Long term impact :

- preparation for the implementation of European regulations from 2015;

- global thinking (on accommodation);

- improvement of the quality of life as regards accommodation;

- cost efficiency as regards accommodation;

- protecting the environment by improving envirnomental policies.

How can you be part of our project:

How to get here (we will send more details when you book your place):

• by bus from Bucharest to Glodeanu Silistea. We will pick you up from there;

• by train from Bucharest to Buzau. We will pick you up from there.

Accommodation:

• for free - in tents near the building site;

• for free - in shared rooms at some of the families in the village;

• for 5-10euro/night in one of the nearby pensions (20-40 km away). We will try to negotiate for you the best price.

Food:

• we offer you food and we will have a cook just for us (traditional Romanian food);

• if you have certain things you need we can get you from the Buzau City. There are also shops in the village and

there is also the possibility to buy local products.

Eco Habitat Association

Coordinator:

Architect Cătălina GRIGOREArchitect Cătălina GRIGORE

Mail address: catalina@eco-habitat.ro

www.eco-habitat.ro

Mobile phone no.: +4 0728 960 951

Fax no.: +4 021 313 24 43