Farm to ADU

Long description

The short life cycle and high carbon sequestering potential of rice plants allow manufacturing building materials from its waste to be an efficient way to draw down carbon and store it indefinitely within the walls of ADUs. Situated in the the Sacramento Valley, this proposal reimagines a new building material supply chain to connect the region’s agricultural abundance with its adjacent urban core that is in critical need of affordable housing. Rice straw, a consistent agro-waste stream, is collected and processed to create a kit of parts for constructing affordable ADUs. The low tech ADU construction process taking place under wooden-framed overhanging roofs require inexpensive, uncomplicated tools. Case studies demonstrate that the basic methods of straw bale construction can be learned in a two day workshop, where community members can participate in building homes in their neighborhoods.

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