ModCell and LILAC Straw Bale Cohousing Project

Written By Gabriella
October 12, 2012

straw revolution article clippingHi everyone! This is Gabriella writing. While Andrew is teaching our last 7 day workshop for this year in NY (which sounds like it’s going awesome), I wanted to let you all know about a truly amazing straw bale cohousing project that our friends at ModCell are working on in Bramley, England.

One of the common challenges in any cohousing project is how to build environmentally sustainable housing that is affordable. So, the folks at LILAC (Low Impact Living Affordably Community) have teamed up with ModCell (awesome company that creates straw bale pre-fab panels that has found huge approval and success in the UK) and created a new model for environmentally conscious cohousing.  This is the UK’s first affordable green straw bale cohousing project.

What excites me most about this is that straw bale construction is gaining popularity around the world as a solution for providing healthy and cost-effective housing…something in very short supply this day and age. The folks at LILAC and ModCell have committed to putting in the time and energy from the very beginning of this project so that they can create a reproducible model that can be used in future cohousing projects.

As of this month, they are well under way and several structures are in the process of being erected. Cohousing is a wonderful model for living that can be very successful for many people. Sharing common spaces, tools, resources, and manpower, is a very efficient way of living and can be lots of fun as well.

I HIGHLY encourage you to visit LILACs site and most of all to watch their beautiful documentary below that was produced several months ago. These are exciting times and we are so glad that we get to be friends with people all around the world doing this kind of amazing work. Thanks ModCell! By the way, if you have not yet visited ModCell‘s website, you simply must. You will likely be amazed at what these guys are doing with straw!

LILAC Cohousing Documentary from LILAC on Vimeo.

IPad displaying man cutting strawbales

16 Essential Steps to Straw Bale Success

FREE 16 Day E-Course

Straw bale workshop participants applying cob plaster

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One Response

  1. Dear All

    I am keen to find out more about this project and what implications it has on those looking for affordable housing.

    Now I have identified that this comminity project is self build, but is there a potential that the lilac project could be used as a model for future use by developers?

    This would encourage multi-unti residential developments using straw bale.

    Kind Regards

    Samuel Self

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