Paul Jennings is speaking at the Big Straw Bale Gathering
April 4, 2018
Name : Paul Jennings
Organisation : Criafolen Permaculture
Lecture title : Permaculture Design for Builders
Brief description : Permaculture design offers a whole site and beyond basis for builders looking to fit their projects sensitively and sustainably into the landscape and community. This lecture will provide a brief look at the application of Permaculture to building, site and settlement design.
Paul’s Bio :
Having trained as an academic in Modern History, I realised that I’d be much happier growing lettuces than working in a university. Thanks to a well placed Permaculture course or two, I moved into organic agriculture and worked for a number of vegetable growing operations and organic gardens over more than a decade. In that time I also built with my partner Sarah my first straw bale house, a very low tech place, and I achieved my Diploma in Permaculture Design.
We moved to France in search of land in 2007, and spent 6 years building in stone and slate, and bringing a mountain farm back to life. One Planet Development brought us to Wales in 2013, and we now live in our second straw bale dwelling, a little bit of an upgrade on the first one, but still built with an eye wateringly low budget. We’re developing our project, Criafolen, as a Permaculture teaching and demonstration site, working on a range of crafts and growing plans. I write fiction, non-fiction, teach Permaculture whenever I am invited to do so, and can be hired out at a very reasonable rate for Permaculture consultancy.
Join us this November for a full-day event exploring the future of biobased construction through the lens of nature, strategy and public good.
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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.
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