Buildings Utilizing Straw Bales in Interior Finishes
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- “Cafe Slow” Kokubunji City, Tokyo Prefecture Architect: Goichi Oiwa Principle Builder of Straw Bale Interior and Plaster Finish: Kyle Holzhueter
“Cafe BuraBura”
Urakawa Town, Hokkaido Prefecture
Architect: Goichi Oiwa
Principle Builder of Straw Bale Walls: Kyle Holzhueter
Plaster Finish: Keisuke Noda
ichi Oiwa
Principle Builder of Straw Bale Interior and Plaster Finish: Kyle Holzhueter
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- “Harappa Cafe” Yufuin Town, Oita Prefecture Architect: Goichi Oiwa Principle Builder of Straw Bale Walls and Plaster Finish: Kyle Holzhueter
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- “Okagesama Ichiba” Natural Food Store Kokubunji City, Tokyo Prefecture Architect: Goichi Oiwa Principle Builder of Straw Bale Walls and Plaster Finish: Kyle Holzhueter
As you can see, straw bale building takes many forms in Japan, adapting to the regional climatic, cultural and architectural context. Inspite of challenges, the seed that sprouted in Nebraska over 100 years ago continues to grow today across the ocean in a country very different from its origins.
Kyle works as a builder, consultant, researcher and educator specializing in natural building materials such as straw bale, light straw clay and natural plasters. He has a PhD in Bioresource Sciences from Nihon University where he researched the hygrothermal environment of straw bale walls in Japan and building practices to control moisture. Apart from academia, Kyle has studied natural farming in Japan, permaculture in Australia, and organic and biodynamic farming in the US. Further details can be found at the following links:
http://holzhueter.blogspot.com
http://japaneseplastering.blogspot.com
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