Dutch architects Jaap Le and Thomas Latjes designed an overnight location made of straw bales as part of a project celebrating the 200^th anniversary of the city of Veenhuizen, the Netherlands.

The temporary overnight location was inspired by the straw barns in the Veenhuizen area. Called De Stroberg (‘the pile of straw’), the structure consists of a wooden core, with a thick façade of straw bales around it. The roof is made of a corrugated sheet.

The squire layout of the room comes from stacking the bales in stretcher bond. All dimensions, interior and exterior, are based on the size of the used straw bales.

The use of straw has many advantages; it’s cheap, readily available, renewable, and a great insulator. With the aid of a bale press, the material can be easily turned into a stackable construction material.

The structure consists for the most part of prefabricated parts and can be disassembled by two people. The straw comes from a local farmer.

For the 200th anniversary of the city of Veenhuizen, the Netherlands, seven temporary overnight locations have been added to the landscape. Called Veen|Huis|Hotel (link in Dutch), the project is an initiative by restaurant Bitter en Zoet and Ketter&Co, a collective of makers and thinkers that aims for a more sustainable society.

For the project, the designers, architects and artists had to use sustainable materials that were harvested or found locally, and the way of building had to be sustainable and energy efficient. In addition to Jaap Le and Thomas Latjes, overnight locations have been designed in the landscape by Anne Beuk, Fé Ramakers and Floor Skrabanja, Werkstatt, Studio TMOJ, Tjeerd Veenhoven and Overtreders W.

Photos: Jaap Le and Thomas Latjes