Beyond the Three Little Pigs – Build With Nature Advances Structural Straw-Based Construction in New York State

FREEHOLD – For decades, the story of The Three Little Pigs - and other myths - have shaped public perception of building with straw. One local company is rewriting the story. Build With Nature (BWN) constructs homes and other buildings using structural straw panels, forming the foundation for safe, healthy, and energy-efficient structures that also benefit the planet.

BWN, a construction company based in Freehold recently finished a study on how to expand the use of prefabricated straw panels and utilize straw grown in New York State. This project was supported under Phase 1 of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Natural Carbon Solutions Innovation Challenge.

BWN will now explore the next phase of the project with the aim of making straw panels more common in New York’s building industry and to show that carbon-storing materials can be part of everyday construction.

“This funding validates what we’ve long believed: New York has the potential to lead the way in climate-smart construction,” said Peter Jensen, founder of Build With Nature. “By building with straw, we not only reduce embodied carbon, but we also create a local value chain that supports farmers, builders, and communities.”

BWN plans to:

● Start local production of straw panels and homes in the Capital Region.

● Build a pilot home to show how straw panels work and how they help save energy and store carbon.

● Partner with international architecture firm Henning Larsen and the Ramboll Foundation, which supports the pilot project.

● Create green jobs and strengthen rural economies by turning unused straw into valuable building materials.

● Build carbon-negative homes that are energy-efficient, healthy to live in, and ready for future climate challenges.

NYSERDA’s Natural Carbon Solutions Innovation Challenge supports projects that use natural materials to lower greenhouse gas emissions, save energy, as well as build stronger, more resilient communities, local supply chains and industry that supports local needs in New York.

Build With Nature (BWN) is a New York-based construction company focused on building with natural, carbon-storing materials. BWN is the U.S. partner of EcoCocon, a European company known for its structural straw panel systems. BWN has completed 17 straw panel projects in the U.S., including seven in New York State.