The first day that the architect Mirco Zeccheto saw a straw wall being built, he thought it was nonsense. And now, a few years later, he is known as the architect of the straw. He has specialized in a material that is not cheaper than brick or concrete, but which, according to him, provides a much better feeling of well-being.
"You are comfortable inside the house," he emphasizes. And that same feeling is what led Sergi Calvo to build a thatched house in Olvan. “Our environment did not understand it. My son wanted a brick house for fear of the wolf (from the little red riding hood story)”, he explains.
From the outside it looks like a conventional house, but inside the feeling and smell are something else. On the wall, as is the tradition in straw houses, there is a window called 'the window of truth' which shows that the walls of that house are made of straw. Sergi Calvo and his family have lived there for some time and, for them, everything is an advantage. “He has a special energy. There is a tranquility, something that makes you feel comfortable. I compare it with my life before in the city, in an apartment from the 80s ’and it has nothing to do with it”, he emphasizes.
Maintaining that feeling at home is one of the main objectives of the 3rd edition of the Bioconstruction and Energy Efficiency Fair, the Firhàbitat. During the days 2, 3 and 4 of June, in Avià, this fair will present sustainable materials for construction. In this sense, the contest will put the accent on materials such as madrera, straw, earth or hemp, among others. “We have many resources and we want people to know about them”, explains its director, Rosa Prat. “We want to turn the story of the three little pigs upside down,” she adds.
The energy crisis has increased the price of construction materials, and straw and wood do not escape. In fact, between building a house made of straw or brick, the price varies little. However, according to Calvo, the difference lies in aspects such as energy efficiency. This winter, for example, they have spent 36 euros to heat the entire house and the temperature has always remained between 20 and 25 degrees.
The director of Firhàbitat considers that the bioconstruction sector is a sector on the rise. "There is more and more interest because we are concerned about health and energy efficiency, but also because we are more aware of the environment and we want that, when we build a house, we do not leave a trace", emphasizes Prat.
This 2023, the contest presents a similar format to last year, but with more professional collaborations, new formations, conferences and various workshops. In addition, the fair will be internationalized with the presence of teachers and students from all over Europe.
