I know what you're all thinking...
You're all thinking, if you are thinking of us at all, that this has all died of death.

Not at all!
We're still here, still building a website and still doing some drawings on the side. Still waiting in the shadows to pounce on a world ready for straw bales homes (even if they don't know it yet). Still thinking about straw last thing before sleep and first thing after sleep.

The reason for the (seemingly complete) lack of activity on our part is 2 parts due to a relocation to sunnier parts (Brighton - the English Riviera no less!) and 2 parts the need on our part to actually get proper jobs to fund this crazy scheme. So now I work as a renegade architect. I'm through the looking glass folks - working quietly away at my computer for a large firm in south east England, secretly inserting eco-parts into social housing blocks. Straw bales into city masterplans. Hydro-electric fittings into two-storey extensions.

More soon.....

Firstly, apoligies for going so quiet lately.
We've been very industrious lately.
Very very busy.

Designing a refit for 5 one-bedroomed, affordable, superinsulated apartments in an old office building and two three-bedroom, semi detached, super-eco homes as part of the same development. Hopefully, when we've finalised the plans we can post some drawings.

In the meantime we're working on those tipsheets.

Until then, I just wanted to make anyone who hasn't already seen it, aware of a new search engine powered by Yahoo. Everytime you use it, it donates money (through advertising I presume) to a charity you select. Its a win win situation folks.

[link]


Have a great day,



Interested in Architecture?

If you've just arrived here and are curious about what its all about, check out our previous journal entry here - [link]

If its too much to check that out - basically we design Straw Bale houses. Hopefully soon we will have some of our designs up, so check back or watch us!



Update - 26/10/05 10pm

So did you watch it?
Didn't it just give you a warm feeling in your insides?

Well it did me.

Anyone who has ever had experience of a conventional building site will vouch that Ben's site was 100 times more relaxing, and fun even, than normal. The house looked beautiful. Seemed to be no problems with the timber cladding, so I am excited about that possibility AND I just discovered an incredibly cheap and easy (and very eco-friendly) way of installing circular windows in Straw Bale houses using reclaimed matertials. I cannot believe I hadn't thought of it already. Everythings great!

I only wish we had our website up already to catch all the folk who are going to be searching for "Straw Bale houses" on google tomorrow after watching it tonight!!






The original Journal Entry.

Tomorrow night (Wednesday 26th Oct) at 9pm, Channel Four (in the UK) are showing "Grand Designs Revisited" where Kevin McCloud is going back to Ben Law's Straw Bale house in Sussex.

Ben Law is a fascinating man, a forrester by trade he required a home in the woods, close to his source of income. The local council, initially sceptical, finally allowed Ben to build his home and he and his architect came up with a Straw Bale/Timber Frame structure.

Ben built it himself, cutting every piece of timber he needed from the forest - from structural members to the cedar shingles on the roof. The end result was a unique and fantastically well crafted home that represented everything good about what we are trying to promote with self-build and Straw Bale constrcution.

From a personal point of view I am extremely interested to see how the timber cladding on the external walls of the home has weathered - this was not a tried a tested method (usually a form of plaster or mud is used). If it worked, then I get very excited.....

If you get the chance I would urge you to watch. Also check out this link for some beautiful pictures of the house - [link]

Welcome friend!
First of all, thanks for stopping by.

This is the brand new DA page for agincourtgreen.
Yes, agincourtgreen.

agincourtgreen.
That whisper you’ve been hearing about.
That underground rumbling.

Its finally readying to surface.

agincourtgreen is a brand new design group dedicated to all things eco-design but specifically specialising in designing buildings made of STRAW BALES and other naturally fantastic materials such as adobe, turf, timber so on, so on.

What you are witnessing here is the very birth of agincourtgreen.

You were there for the beginning.

Right now we are designing a lovely spectacular home made of straw and adobe. We are also working with architectural designers up and down the country; researching new technologies and working on new ideas in green-design and straw bale work. Working with unknown talented artists. We have the presses running a series of fact sheets, to educate everyone on the facts. Finally, we are working on a launch – for Easter 2006 sometime (you can help us with that if you read our other journal entries, if you would like…..).

But yes, this is the birth.

Tragically, our planet is blighted by this never ending wave of environmentally disastrous, architecturally inept housing estates. Its time to end this blight on the landscape and strain on the ecosystem and quickly usher in this new epoch.

This is the very frontline of the ever-growing eco-movement.




If you are curious, interested, have a specific question on any of this (What on earth is Straw Bale building), get in touch. We try to spend approximately one day a week answering questions from the public, students, developers, so on, so on, for free. Just get in touch with a note or send us an email at agincourtgreen@googlemail.com.

Looking forward to hearing from you!
All the best,



Interested in Architecture?