A House made of straw, clay and wood not only offers ecological benefits - it also creates a noticeably healthier indoor climate. Natural building materials regulate humidity, store heat and ensure an air quality that modern buildings often fail to achieve. With Ebner 1822 in Carinthia we have deliberately built our chalets from these materials - because sustainable building also means healthy living.
When walls are allowed to breathe again
You know that feeling you get when you enter an old farmhouse and immediately realise you've been there?
The air is different.
Not air-conditioned.
Not dry.
Not artificially filtered.
Simple natural.
Many people cannot explain why they immediately feel more comfortable in such rooms. But the reason often lies in the materials: Wood, clay and straw.
These building materials have accompanied mankind for centuries - and are experiencing a surprising renaissance today.
Because while modern buildings are becoming ever denser, more technical and more artificial, many people have a growing need for spaces that are are healthy, calm and honestly built.
Building naturally - a return to something original
Our farm Ebner 1822 is located in the upper Gurktal valley in Carinthia and was first mentioned in a document in 1822.
When we wanted to build new holiday homes there, we asked ourselves a simple question:
How do you build houses today where people can really find peace and quiet?
The answer lay not in new technology - but in old materials.
Our chalets at the Ebner 1822 Nature Retreat were deliberately Wood, straw and clay built.
These materials create a room climate that regulates itself and creates an atmosphere that many guests feel from the very first breath.
What does „healthy building“ actually mean?
Healthy building means more than just „no pollutants“.
It describes buildings that actively contribute to a good indoor climate.
According to studies by the World Health Organisation (WHO) people today spend around 90 % of their time indoors.
Buildings thus have a direct influence:
- Air quality
- Air humidity
- Temperature
- Sleep quality
- Stress level
The materials from which a house is built play a central role in this.
Conventional construction method vs. natural construction method
Many modern buildings are made of materials such as
- Concrete
- Styrofoam
- Plastic vapour barriers
- synthetic colours
- mechanical ventilation systems
Natural construction methods, on the other hand, are based on:
- Wood
- Straw as an insulating material
- Clay plaster
- Diffusion-open constructions
- Natural oils and colours
The difference lies in the Interaction between house and people.
While technical buildings have to control the indoor climate, natural materials regulate many processes by itself.
Why straw is an amazingly good building material
Straw initially comes as a surprise to many people as a building material.
In fact, however, it is a Highly effective natural insulating material.
In our chalets at the Ebner 1822 straw bales are used in timber frame constructions.
This construction method offers several advantages:
- Excellent thermal insulation
- Natural moisture regulation
- Very good sound insulation
- CO₂ storage during growth
- Fully renewable raw material
A house made of straw therefore not only stores heat - but also Carbon from the atmosphere.
Clay - the natural climate regulator
A second central building material is Clay.
Clay has been used for thousands of years and has properties that modern building materials can hardly match.
Clay walls can:
- Absorb and release moisture
- Binding odours and pollutants
- Compensate for temperature fluctuations
- create a very pleasant indoor climate
In our chalets, all interior surfaces are hand-applied clay plaster designed.
The surface remains deliberately lively - each wall bears the signature of the craftsman.
Wood - the living building material
Wood is perhaps the building material that has the most direct effect on people.
Studies of the TU Graz show that rooms with visible wood:
- lower the heart rate
- Reduce stress
- Increase well-being
In the chalets of Ebner 1822 we use local wood from the region - including larch and spruce.
These materials age gracefully and develop a patina over the years that no industrial building material can replicate.
Why many people feel these houses immediately
Many guests report that they already sleep more deeply on the first night than at home.
The reason lies in the interplay of several factors:
- natural materials
- Balanced humidity
- Absolute tranquillity of the Nockberge mountains
- Reduced technology
- Warm radiant heat from the fireplace and wall heating
The result is an indoor climate that many consider „finally being able to breathe again“ describe.
A place that lives with its guests
Ebner 1822 is a sustainable chalet hideaway in the Carinthian Nockberge mountains with three hand-built houses made from Wood, clay and straw.
Our chalets are not classic holiday homes.
They are deliberately built retreats for people looking for peace, nature and genuine materials.
A place where walls are allowed to breathe again -
and so will you.
Conclusion
Houses made of straw, clay and wood are far more than just an ecological construction method.
They create spaces that:
- are healthier
- offer a better indoor climate
- Building more sustainably
- and are intuitively perceived as more pleasant by many people.
Perhaps the future of construction does not lie in ever more technology - but in rediscovering what our ancestors knew long ago.
Find out more about our sustainable chalets here:
https://ebner1822.at/lehmhauser-natuerliches-bauen-ebner-1822/