The Story of Straw… and how to use straw in a modern building. Make took one of the most traditional building materials, straw, and elevated it into cutting edge, sustainable building technology. The Gateway Building at The University of Nottingham’s Sutton Bonington campus was built using prefabricated timber cassettes containing straw from the University’s own farm. Bringing together the School of Biosciences and the School of Veterinary and Medical Sciences the building provides laboratories, teaching spaces and offices for the academic staff.