Self build offgrid strawbale house in Scotland

[JohnMo]

6 minutes ago, JAPro said:

Hi all 

I'm on east coast of Scotland and keen on a self built strawbale house but getting stuck on how to obtain a building warrant pass.  I can only find systemised versions rather than true strawbale.  Would love advice and even better to see see details of a successful warrant! Thanks 

In Scotland to get a building warrant you need a structural design certificate that covers the whole build (or all the structural calculations and pay to have them reviewed) and an as designed SAP EPC. If you both those boxes ticked how you actually build isn't really that relevant, is my take on the system.

 

So would suspect getting an architect and structural engineer that understands the build system, is the challenge, not the warrant.

[JAPro]

Thanks JohnMo, from trying to find an architect to submit a design the biggest issue seems to be demonstrating/proving fire safety as no one has demonstrated a strawbale system under eligible test conditions.  If anyone knows an architect who has completed a successful warrant application I would be keen to chat. 

[JAPro]

*to clarify, I'm referring to standard strawbales rather than a proprietary system such as straw filled cassettes etc.

[JohnMo]

Is it worth the hassle building from straw bales? The walls of the building are pretty cheap no matter how you build them especially if you are doing most the work yourself.

 

Why not a more conventional system? 

[Pord67]

Been a while and I was just randomly passing through when I noticed a few recent posts on this thread. Current update is we gained our Completion Cert in July (almost exactly 10 years to the day since buying the land), and the interior is nearing completion with just the kitchen to finish.  Fully offgrid, we haven't paid a utility bill in 9 years. Living our dream and still pinching myself, tbh.

 

 

[Arisaig Mike]

On 03/11/2025 at 11:06, JAPro said:

Thanks JohnMo, from trying to find an architect to submit a design the biggest issue seems to be demonstrating/proving fire safety as no one has demonstrated a strawbale system under eligible test conditions.  If anyone knows an architect who has completed a successful warrant application I would be keen to chat. 

Hi JAPro, did you source an architect and structural engineer? 

If not, there are two architects that you could try, neither are in Scotland but that isn't really an issue. Architects can work with the information you give them and photos. The same goes for structural engineers but it would depend on how complicated the site is. 

Try Grain Architecture or Wellspring Architecture. Both a long way south but have worked up here in the Highlands. Structural engineers are a bit more of a problem as they all seem to be madly busy. I'm just working with Tom Joseph of Grain Architecture and Andy Bayliss of Jengo design (structural engineer) on a straw bale on the west coast. We will be doing a warrant submission before the spring. I've not heard of a strawbale house being refused a warrant because of fire safety. In fact they are safer than a timber house or a timber frame and block house. No air pockets to fuel combustion, straw so dense it can be counted as solid wood that will char but will be hugely resistant to combusting. Also the straw is coated with lime render which is a natural fireproof coating. 

You can find more info on straw works or from Barbara Jones at SNAB if there is certification they will know. There are quite a few strawbale houses up here Muir of Ord, Skye, Isle of Eigg, Ardnamurchan and just outside Fort William, to name some of them. They all have completion certificates. 

And John Mo, have you ever spent time in a strawbale house? The difference in living environment is chalk and cheese compared to a 'conventional' build. 

[SteamyTea]

19 minutes ago, Arisaig Mike said:

The difference in living environment is chalk and cheese compared to a 'conventional' build

So is living in a tin shed, animal skin tent, igloo ect.

Have lived in a Queen Anne period place, that was misery, but it may have b cause it was my last school.

[Hastings]

On 20/06/2020 at 09:55, Pord67 said:

We're fully offgrid with solar pv and rainwater harvesting.

Same, in Argyll. But we're restricted to max occupancy of 2 by a planning order due to the rainwater supply not being sufficient. Is your rainwater harvesting your sole supply for water?

[Pord67]

On 15/01/2026 at 08:28, Hastings said:

Same, in Argyll. But we're restricted to max occupancy of 2 by a planning order due to the rainwater supply not being sufficient. Is your rainwater harvesting your sole supply for water?

Yes, with no restrictions on occupancy. We have a 4000l surface tank. We've only run out once, in 2024 when there was a period of drought while we were being far too liberal using it as a source of very clean water for our lime render. We stopped that practice after that.  We're fortunate in having a burn on our land that never dries up. We may use switch to that if we encounter problems in future, but it's not looking likely.

[Hastings]

That is very helpful to know, thanks.

 

We have a 10,000L tank but it was the local rainfall data vs roof area calc that was equally, if not more, important in our having to prove 'sufficiency' of the supply.

 

Was there any official assessment of the water supply, like to show roof area vs rainfall calculations for how much water you can ever collect in a year?