In Vienna in 2017, asbn – austrian strawbale network had the opportunity to wrap (thermally insulate / insulate the outside of) an allotment house with straw in 5 different ways in 15 cm insulation thickness as part of a STEP U4 wrapping workshop: one side was planked with boards / battens (rough boarding), one side was planked with squared timber / battens, on the windowless north side we installed straw-insulated pallets, and one area was boarded with soft fibre boards (protect). These “cages” for the layers of straw bales were fixed on vertical hybrid uprights (roughcast boards). These in turn stand on a sheathing stone foundation filled with perlite and are additionally fixed to the existing wall and rafters. The walls were then plastered with sump lime.
Wrapping of an allotment house in Vienna
As part of a STEP Wrapping workshop, an allotment house was wrapped with 15cm straw insulation in 5 different ways.