Quality · ISO 9001
Consistent, audited manufacturing
An accredited quality-management system means every panel is produced to the same controlled standard — not batch-to-batch luck. Our certificate: [ISO 9001 no.].
Certifications & testing
Proof, not promises.
Compressed straw construction is held to the same standards as any modern building system — and independently tested for fire, sound, heat, structure, and earthquakes. Below are the certifications and tests that apply to straw-panel systems. As we complete each assessment for our own panels, the certificate and report numbers below are filled in.
Standards and independent test results shown here are industry-verified for compressed-straw/straw-bale construction. Entries marked […] are our own certificate and report references.
Certifications
Independently certified.
Product · ETA + CE
Approved for sale across Europe
A European Technical Assessment (ETA) allows the panel to carry the CE mark with declared, third-party-verified performance — the legal basis for building with it. Our ETA: [ETA no.].
Energy · Passive House Institute
Certified component
Compressed-straw wall systems are among the few natural build systems to earn Passive House Institute component certification for thermal comfort and efficiency. Our status: [PHI cert / in progress].
Fire class · EN 13501
Reaction & resistance to fire
European fire classification (Euroclass reaction-to-fire and REI resistance ratings). Our classification: [Euroclass / REI].
Environment · EPD
Declared carbon & impact
An Environmental Product Declaration quantifies the panel's footprint — including the ~115 kg of CO₂ stored per m². Our EPD: [EPD no.].
National approval
Local building compliance
Technical approval / Agrément for the country of construction, confirming compliance with local building codes. Our approval: [approval no.].
The tests it has undergone
Measured, not claimed.
Fire · EN 13501 / ASTM E119
120+ minutes of resistance
Rendered straw-panel assemblies are certified for 120 minutes or more; independent tests of lime-rendered walls have exceeded two hours. Compressed straw is too dense to feed a fire. Our report: [REI __, report no.].
Thermal · EN ISO 6946 / PHPP
U-value 0.11–0.19 W/m²K
Measured thermal conductivity λ ≈ 0.039–0.056 W/mK; whole-wall U-values well past passive-house targets. Our figures: [U-value / λ].
Acoustic · EN ISO 10140
40–65 dB sound reduction
High-mass straw walls tested across configurations deliver strong sound insulation. Our result: [__ dB].
Structural & seismic
Load-tested & shake-tested
Load-bearing capacity verified by structural testing; full-scale houses shake-tested on seismic tables (see below). Our engineering: [structural report].
Earthquake resistance
It bends with the ground instead of fighting it.
Rigid plaster skins over a resilient compressed-straw core behave like a structural insulated panel. The wall is wide, so it spreads load over a large footprint; the straw core absorbs and dissipates energy instead of shattering. That combination — stiff skin, soft heart — is exactly what you want when the earth moves.
This isn't theory. In independent research at the University of Nevada, Reno Large-Scale Structures Laboratory, a full-scale straw-bale house was shake-tested against the 1994 Northridge earthquake record (Mw 6.7). It survived 0.82g — twice the recorded ground acceleration — severely shaken but never in danger of collapse.
In the real world, straw building has been used to rebuild high-seismic regions quickly and affordably — from Pakistan (PAKSBAB) to post-earthquake Nepal — often at roughly half the cost of conventional earthquake-resistant construction.
Our homes are engineered to the seismic code for your region [e.g. Eurocode 8 / local standard]; our seismic engineering report: [report no.].
0.82g
Peak acceleration survived in shake-table testing — 2× the Northridge record
Mw 6.7
Magnitude of the Northridge earthquake record used
~50%
Reported cost vs. conventional earthquake-resistant building
The long view
What decades in a straw home actually add up to.
Savings that compound
A net-positive home produces a surplus every year. As energy prices climb, the energy you never buy is worth more each year — over 20–30 years it dwarfs the build premium.
Built for a century
Straw buildings over 100 years old still stand. A breathable, moisture-managed build-up is designed to last generations, not decades.
Low maintenance
Durable renders and cladding, no rot-prone cavities, and fewer mechanical systems to service — the building fabric does the work.
Health that adds up daily
Stable humidity, no off-gassing, and quiet interiors aren't a one-time feature — they're a better day, every day, for decades.
Carbon that stays put
The CO₂ locked into the walls stays locked for the life of the building — a climate benefit that keeps paying.
Resilient & sought-after
Certified performance, energy independence, and disaster resilience are increasingly demanded — protecting comfort now and resale value later.