okambuva has been the first spanish company developing prefabricated straw panels for construction, suitable as structural elements, acomplishing the current energetic efficience standarts, built with local resources, in appropriate conditions for the local industry and with low logistic requirements.
The alfaWALL building system is a modular system for walls, based on slatted wooden structures containing bales pressed with a minimum density of 130kg/m3, set within a wooden structure are load bearing, additional loading structures for the building are not necessary. The wooden structure and its dimensions allow easy mounting, with conventional manual tool and special construction screws.
The design, development and manufacture of prototypes was made by analyzing experiences in other European countries.
The main alfaWALL improvement is using conventional bales, considering that the German, Austrian or French regulations require a minimum of 80kg/m3, we find that in Spain, in key growing areas cereal packaging machines being used are capable of compressing to a much higher density without affecting price or logistics. This reduces manufacturing technology investment and widens the possibilities using available technologies.
The modules can be manufactured specifically for each project, which can adapt its dimensions within a technological conditioned grid. The walls can be plastered with clay mortar and/or lime, or covered with wood fiber boards, as structural frameworks allow easy fastening.