September 11, 2025
Architect and urban designer Clara Koehler of Woodknowledge Wales to speak at SBUK Symposium 2025
Clara is an architect and urban designer interested in the built environment as a setting for everyday life. She is currently working with Woodknowledge Wales, exploring methods of sustainable construction and carbon reduction.
Her talk, The role of bio-based materials on the route to “net zero”, will introduce the carbon benefits of bio-based materials such as straw and timber in comparison with conventional construction.
Clara will also show how carbon reduction is not only about material substitution, but about broader changes in societal habits and assumptions if we are to build within planetary boundaries
Early bird and member discounts are now available.
Dr Judith Thornton joins the SBUK Symposium 2025 stage
SBUK Symposium welcomes Jonathan Davies to 2025 speaker line-up
Paul Crosby joins SBUK Symposium 2025 speaker line-up
Denmark's Embodied Carbon Story and Learnings for Part Z
Post-occupancy insights from a real straw panel home – energy, comfort, and lessons learned
Pioneering circular insulation with wheat straw – made in the UK
A lived-in look at seasonal comfort, heat loss and real-world performance in a straw panel home.
Watch now: Timber Framing for Straw Bale Construction
Timber Framing for Straw Bale Construction with Chris Hawker and Ben Nother
📅 **25 March 2025**
📍 **Online Event**
Timber framing plays a crucial role in straw bale construction, influencing durability, efficiency, and design. In this session, Hawkland’s Chris Hawker and Ben Nother will share their expertise, using their latest build near Ross-on-Wye as a case study.
They will explore:
✔️ The specific approach they have taken to constructing the timber frame
✔️ How their designs have evolved over the years
✔️ The reasoning behind their current method
✔️ A broader discussion on timber-frame vs load-bearing straw bale construction
The session will conclude with a Q&A, offering the opportunity to gain insights from two of the UK’s leading practitioners in timber and straw construction.