Comparison of energy-effective components of a building envelope with natural fibres and straw bales: A case study in the Sierra Region of Ecuador

• Nathalie Santamaria ^[2] ; Jorge Otaegi ^[2] ; Andrea Moreno ^[2] ; iñigo Rodríguez-Vidal ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

     Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

     Leioa, España

     
  2. [2] National University Of Chimborazo Unach And University Of The Basque Country Upv/ehu
• Localización: Buildings Fit for Climate Change: ICAT 2025 / coord. por Tahar Kouider, Antonio Galiano Garrigós, 2025, ISBN 978-84-1302-318-2, págs. 305-322
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The construction of housing and infrastructure is one of the largest contributors topollution, as it accounts for around 21% of global CO2 emissions. Reducing the impact ofbuilding materials is key to curb climate change. This paper evaluated hygrothermalperformance of a case study, Natura y Arte house, built in the Ecuadorian Andes regionusing straw bales and natural fibres in the years 2021-2022, at 3200 meters above sea level,with mostly constant temperatures throughout the year with great variations from day tonight. For this, the research applied on-site monitoring of exterior and interior areas and sixsurfaces of various components of the building envelope. Walls, floor, and roof assemblieswere 2D-FE modelled, including straw bale walls rendered with clay, insulated floor, andcomposite roof with various fibres. Main results show that straw bale walls provide higherinsulation over the other building components, U-value of 0.24 W/m²K was met. The passivedesign also contributed to a highly insulated building envelope with minimal heat loss,creating a consistently comfortable indoor environment while significantly reducing energyconsumption.