Compressed straw/hay panels or bales; very low embodied energy, locally sourceable.
Cost
Low
Upkeep
Occasional
Skill to build
Intermediate
Lifespan
50-100 years if kept dry and pest-free (moisture above ~20% causes rapid fungal breakdown within weeks)
Embodied carbon
Low
Space / material use
Medium
Output timing
None
Skill to repair
Basic
Regulation (FR example)
New construction falls under RE2020, which sets thermal and carbon performance thresholds for the building as a whole rather than approving individual materials.
Note: Cost, carbon and footprint are rated against the other options for this same need, not in absolute terms.
What your site needs
Reliable moisture management (vapour-open assembly, roof/wall detailing that keeps bales dry), straw's main failure mode is water ingress, not age
No sizing or quantities: how much a technique yields, and how much a household needs, both depend on the build and the people, so the catalogue compares options rather than dimensioning them. It carries no bill of materials and no build sequence, and it is written for an oceanic, clay-soil climate (Normandy, France). Regulatory notes are indicative and need confirming locally.