Alaties Straw House 2025

Alaties Straw House

A lethal combination of an environmental education background and watching too much grand designs led to this house build. We loved the idea of using natural materials for both enviro and health reasons. We also wanted to have as little impact as possible in regards to the materials we chose. After talking with a few designers and knowing John Glassford who was only 1.5h away and was making straw panels, we knew this was going to be the most effective, create the most efficiency and be the more economical option. So straw walls are the main feature, alongside trusses built from reclaimed Melbourne wharf timber and my favourite feature – a worm farm sewerage system which helps our veggies grow. We think the efficiency is great and generally only need the split system (only one in the home) on on days above 35degrees.

We chose a wood fire heating system because we love the cozy ambiance it creates, which makes winter much more enjoyable. Since we have plenty of timber on our farm, it’s also a cost-effective, low-mileage fuel source. It heats our home well, and we only need 2-3 medium-sized logs per night.

For our stove, we initially went with gas because induction felt unfamiliar at the time. We were also concerned about how much energy it might draw and whether it would impact other appliances since we’re on a single-phase power supply. Gas seemed like a good option, especially since it’s only used for cooking. However, we plan to switch to induction soon to be more sustainable and because it’s easier to clean.

When we built the house, we decided not to install solar and batteries because the costs were too high. We also wanted to see how much energy we would use in our efficient home. With the wood fire keeping us warm in winter and our overall low energy use, solar and battery didn’t seem justified. Plus, I had ethical concerns about where battery companies source their minerals. Solar alone wouldn’t have worked for us either since we’re out of the house most of the day.