![\"Straw](\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/07\/casa-di-paglia-Horti-Amerini-1.jpg\")
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A story of chance and dedication<\/h2>\n
We had the pleasure of interviewing Sergio Sampaolo<\/strong>, a contrite architect but with the steady desire to descover new ways of building<\/strong> in harmony with the land. After a bunch of difficulties, the project has been completed: let’s find out the creation process of this beautiful ecological cottage<\/strong> immersed in the peace of the Terni<\/strong> countryside, in the Umbria<\/a> region.<\/p>\n \u00abThe Horti Amerini straw house in the result of a chance encounter<\/strong> between an architect in mid-life crisis and some younger men, little prone to the usual path to school, work, career, retirement… After the first, classic decision “I’m going to live in the countryside”, there was only two of us left: me, Sergio<\/strong>, an architect who, although repentant and removed from the register, continued to think about buildings, looking for non-toxic ways<\/strong> for the earth (few people have any idea of how much polluting waste material a traditional construction side can produce everyday…) and Dario<\/strong>, twenty years younger, versatile artist: he plays instruments, sings, paints, but most of all loves every single plant and animal<\/strong> on this planet (including spiders, which I barely tolerate…).\u00bb<\/p>\n \u00abAfter a lot of researches and attempts all over the Italian territory, we met, again by chance, a local architecture studio<\/strong>. In the hot summer of 2014 began the renovation of the stone farmhouse<\/strong> with a doubling in wood<\/strong> and straw<\/strong>, a building site initially considered of self-construction and sharing, in the style of “let’s love each other, don’t worry, we’ll help you…”. Despite the immediate struggle with the harsh reality of work, money, random estimates, efforts and miracles (always necessary in life), within a year we had the roof, the floor, the windows and, most of all, walls with an earthquake-proof wooden structure<\/strong>, insulated with local straw bales<\/strong>, plastered with lime in the outside and with soil in the inside. Beautiful, cool in the summer and warm in winter<\/strong>, healthy<\/strong>.\u00bb<\/p>\n \u00abChoosing to build an insulated house made of straw<\/strong> does not cause any different issue from those of a traditonal building site. On the contrary, the environment improves thanks to the nearly lack of toxic wastes<\/strong> (e.g. waste of tarred shelths, some inevitable silicone pipes or, even worse, of foam). Builders works better, who will live there will gain in health<\/strong> and in fewer costs in the future<\/strong>.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\t\tHow did the Horti Amerini straw house come about?<\/h2>\n
![\"Facade](\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/07\/casa-di-paglia-facciata.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nWhich good sustainability practices have you adopted?<\/h2>\n
![\"Rectangular](\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/07\/balla-di-paglia-870x490.jpg\")
Which benefits and problems have you experienced when choosing straw as a building material?<\/h2>\n