bittles brook farm

The lambing shed is the first realised collaboration with the natural builders of Huff and Puff Construction, offering a training course in Building with Straw Bales and together taken through from concept to completed construction.

The approach has called for a low cost, low carbon and low impact building for a growing flock. Used car tyres from the neighbouring Motcombe Garage were filled with compacted 14mm clean stone to produce effective pier foundations; the ring beam, constructed of SmartPly osb3 (chosen because it has no added formaldehyde) with regularised softwood, has been packed with straw for insulation.

Locally sourced materials have been vital to the construction and used wherever possible. Timber from Wareham Forest, straw from Stourton Caundle and clay from excavating the piers will comprise some 90% of the building by volume.