Master’s thesis in architecture
A spatial, sustainable, and constructive experiment
We built an 18 square meter straw-bale house next to the Lund School of Architecture, in an attempt to understand and experience the construction process. The result was a structure with load-bearing straw bales where we used both modern and traditional building techniques. The straw-bale house is intended as a compact accommodation for a student. The architecture is sustainable and creates complexity with simple means.
Complexity through simple means
The interior is a series of experiments with light and shadow. A small window frames the greenery of the LTH park, a large one faces the morning sun in the east, and a glass block wall to the south lets the shower room bathe in mysteriously filtered daylight. The shifted floor plan creates a dynamic space that feels larger than it actually is. The ceiling height of 3.8 meters allows for a loft bed, and other functions such as a kitchenette, toilet, and study area are placed in the small rooms created by the offset.
Architecture as an object
The straw-bale house is located right next to the impressive southern gable of the A-house, designed in the 60s by the modernist Klas Anshelm. Our little house stands as a competing object in the abstract space around the LTH buildings, due to its offset form, rotated placement, and expressive tectonics.
Learning by doing
During 70 days of construction, we learned every step of the construction process completely on our own. We found and treated the raw clay for the plaster, laid the aluminum roof, learned to build with glass blocks, and tested countless other construction techniques. Experiencing the creation of space and seeing our architectural and construction ideas come to life was a fantastic experience. Building Straw-bale house #1 was living the architectural process. The house stood from 2016 to 2018, when it was demolished.
Download the entire thesis at Lund University Papers.
More information and images on the project website: https://strawbalehouse1.wordpress.com/
