About Strawtown
We believe there's a more profound way to build and live. A world where intentional living transcends location and infrastructure, where beautifully designed homes ensure complete self-sufficiency, architectural excellence aligns with environmental stewardship, and individuals are empowered to create their ideal lives anywhere.
A Pattern Revealed
There comes a moment when you see the world in a different light. Every season, millions of tons of straw across South Africa's wheat fields are set ablaze, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. At the same time, construction demands ever more resource-intensive materials. The sense of disconnect was deeper than mere irony: here was abundance treated as waste, while an entire industry sought sustainable alternatives that didn't exist. This pattern repeated everywhere: valuable resources were discarded, communities struggled with agricultural byproducts, and the construction sector was trapped in methods that worked against environmental goals. Sometimes, the solution isn't about innovation; it's about recognition of what already surrounds us.
Transforming the Foundation
What if instead of creating something new, we reimagine something that has stood the test of time? Our proprietary compression technology transforms agricultural waste into building materials that outperform conventional options. Each panel represents a complete reversal: instead of emissions, sequestration; instead of waste, strength; instead of dependency, self-sufficiency. This process creates a system capable of complete off-grid operation, freeing you from infrastructure limitations while delivering superior thermal performance and fire resistance. The technology itself becomes secondary to the philosophy: designing with nature's principles means nothing is truly wasted, everything serves a purpose.
A Pattern Revealed
There comes a moment when you see the world in a different light. Every season, millions of tons of straw across South Africa's wheat fields are set ablaze, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. At the same time, construction demands ever more resource-intensive materials. The sense of disconnect was deeper than mere irony: here was abundance treated as waste, while an entire industry sought sustainable alternatives that didn't exist. This pattern repeated everywhere: valuable resources were discarded, communities struggled with agricultural byproducts, and the construction sector was trapped in methods that worked against environmental goals. Sometimes, the solution isn't about innovation; it's about recognition of what already surrounds us.
Transforming the Foundation
What if instead of creating something new, we reimagine something that has stood the test of time? Our proprietary compression technology transforms agricultural waste into building materials that outperform conventional options. Each panel represents a complete reversal: instead of emissions, sequestration; instead of waste, strength; instead of dependency, self-sufficiency. This process creates a system capable of complete off-grid operation, freeing you from infrastructure limitations while delivering superior thermal performance and fire resistance. The technology itself becomes secondary to the philosophy: designing with nature's principles means nothing is truly wasted, everything serves a purpose.
A Pattern Revealed
There comes a moment when you see the world in a different light. Every season, millions of tons of straw across South Africa's wheat fields are set ablaze, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. At the same time, construction demands ever more resource-intensive materials. The sense of disconnect was deeper than mere irony: here was abundance treated as waste, while an entire industry sought sustainable alternatives that didn't exist. This pattern repeated everywhere: valuable resources were discarded, communities struggled with agricultural byproducts, and the construction sector was trapped in methods that worked against environmental goals. Sometimes, the solution isn't about innovation; it's about recognition of what already surrounds us.
Transforming the Foundation
What if instead of creating something new, we reimagine something that has stood the test of time? Our proprietary compression technology transforms agricultural waste into building materials that outperform conventional options. Each panel represents a complete reversal: instead of emissions, sequestration; instead of waste, strength; instead of dependency, self-sufficiency. This process creates a system capable of complete off-grid operation, freeing you from infrastructure limitations while delivering superior thermal performance and fire resistance. The technology itself becomes secondary to the philosophy: designing with nature's principles means nothing is truly wasted, everything serves a purpose.
The Visionaries Behind Strawtown
Transforming an industry requires more than insight; it demands the right minds working in harmony. Led by founder Ash Stephenson, whose recognition of untapped potential in agricultural waste sparked this journey, our team brings together mechanical engineers, industrial designers, and business strategists united by a singular purpose.
The Visionaries Behind Strawtown
Transforming an industry requires more than insight; it demands the right minds working in harmony. Led by founder Ash Stephenson, whose recognition of untapped potential in agricultural waste sparked this journey, our team brings together mechanical engineers, industrial designers, and business strategists united by a singular purpose.
The Visionaries Behind Strawtown
Transforming an industry requires more than insight; it demands the right minds working in harmony. Led by founder Ash Stephenson, whose recognition of untapped potential in agricultural waste sparked this journey, our team brings together mechanical engineers, industrial designers, and business strategists united by a singular purpose.
Ash
Executive Director & Co-founder
Ham
PrEng Mechanical Engineer & Co-founder
Cuan
BSc Mechatronics Eng Project Engineer
Matthew
BSc Eng Mechanical Engineer
Garth
Industrial Product Designer
Damon
Business Development
Ash
Executive Director & Co-founder
Ham
PrEng Mechanical Engineer & Co-founder
Cuan
BSc Mechatronics Eng Project Engineer
Matthew
BSc Eng Mechanical Engineer
Garth
Industrial Product Designer
Damon
Business Development
Ash
Ham
Cuan
Matthew
Garth
Damon
Our History
2019 - A Spark of Inspiration
A moment of clarity emerged in a Free State township. Ash observed how a simple waste collection initiative had transformed an entire community, creating livelihoods from what others discarded. This observation revealed a pattern: abundance exists where we see only waste. The question became not what to invent but what to recognise.
2019 - A Spark of Inspiration
A moment of clarity emerged in a Free State township. Ash Stephenson observed how a simple waste collection initiative had transformed an entire community, creating livelihoods from what others discarded. This observation revealed a pattern: abundance exists where we see only waste. The question became not what to invent but what to recognise.
2019 - A Spark of Inspiration
A moment of clarity emerged in a Free State township. Ash Stephenson observed how a simple waste collection initiative had transformed an entire community, creating livelihoods from what others discarded. This observation revealed a pattern: abundance exists where we see only waste. The question became not what to invent but what to recognise.
2020 - Turning the Vision into Reality
Recognition required action. Four years of methodical research followed, during which a proprietary compression technology was developed that could transform agricultural waste into superior building materials. Each iteration brought clarity to both the process and the possibility. Local farmer partnerships formed naturally as the technology proved what intuition had suggested.
2020 - Turning the Vision into Reality
Recognition required action. Four years of methodical research followed, during which a proprietary compression technology was developed that could transform agricultural waste into superior building materials. Each iteration brought clarity to both the process and the possibility. Local farmer partnerships formed naturally as the technology proved what intuition had suggested.
2020 - Turning the Vision into Reality
Recognition required action. Four years of methodical research followed, during which a proprietary compression technology was developed that could transform agricultural waste into superior building materials. Each iteration brought clarity to both the process and the possibility. Local farmer partnerships formed naturally as the technology proved what intuition had suggested.
2022-2024 - Laying the Groundwork
Ideas became infrastructure. Strawtown was founded, the Malmesbury site was secured, and our manufacturing facility began to take shape. The modular "Stacks" concept emerged during this period, completing the vision of homes that work with natural systems rather than against them. Relationships with industry partners developed as the technology demonstrated its potential.
2022-2024 - Laying the Groundwork
Ideas became infrastructure. Strawtown was founded, the Malmesbury site was secured, and our manufacturing facility began to take shape. The modular "Stacks" concept emerged during this period, completing the vision of homes that work with natural systems rather than against them. Relationships with industry partners developed as the technology demonstrated its potential.
2022-2024 - Laying the Groundwork
Ideas became infrastructure. Strawtown was founded, the Malmesbury site was secured, and our manufacturing facility began to take shape. The modular "Stacks" concept emerged during this period, completing the vision of homes that work with natural systems rather than against them. Relationships with industry partners developed as the technology demonstrated its potential.
2025 - Building a Sustainable Future
Today we stand with our Malmesbury facility completed. The first showcase projects underway, we're ready to make a significant impact on the world of sustainable construction. As we scale up production and continue to innovate, we're excited to lead the charge towards a greener, more sustainable future for all.
2025 - Building a Sustainable Future
Today we stand with our Malmesbury facility completed. The first showcase projects underway, we're ready to make a significant impact on the world of sustainable construction. As we scale up production and continue to innovate, we're excited to lead the charge towards a greener, more sustainable future for all.
2025 - Building a Sustainable Future
Today we stand with our Malmesbury facility completed. The first showcase projects underway, we're ready to make a significant impact on the world of sustainable construction. As we scale up production and continue to innovate, we're excited to lead the charge towards a greener, more sustainable future for all.
Now, Your Story...
This journey from awareness to action creates something more profound than better building materials: it creates new possibilities for how you live. When your home generates its own power, captures its own water, and exists independently of infrastructure constraints, geography becomes choice rather than limitation. You gain the freedom to prioritise what matters most, whether that's coastal tranquillity, mountain solitude, or simply reducing your environmental impact while maintaining luxury. The foundation is set. What you build upon it becomes your story.
Now, Your Story...
This journey from awareness to action creates something more profound than better building materials: it creates new possibilities for how you live. When your home generates its own power, captures its own water, and exists independently of infrastructure constraints, geography becomes choice rather than limitation. You gain the freedom to prioritise what matters most, whether that's coastal tranquillity, mountain solitude, or simply reducing your environmental impact while maintaining luxury. The foundation is set. What you build upon it becomes your story.
Now, Your Story...
This journey from awareness to action creates something more profound than better building materials: it creates new possibilities for how you live. When your home generates its own power, captures its own water, and exists independently of infrastructure constraints, geography becomes choice rather than limitation. You gain the freedom to prioritise what matters most, whether that's coastal tranquillity, mountain solitude, or simply reducing your environmental impact while maintaining luxury. The foundation is set. What you build upon it becomes your story.
"Doing more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing."
Buckminster Fuller
"Doing more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing."
Buckminster Fuller
"Doing more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing."
Buckminster Fuller
Join visionaries creating intentional spaces.
Get design inspiration, off-grid mastery, and stories from those who've chosen self-sufficient living.
Join visionaries creating intentional spaces.
Get design inspiration, off-grid mastery, and stories from those who've chosen self-sufficient living.
Join visionaries creating intentional spaces.
Get design inspiration, off-grid mastery, and stories from those who've chosen self-sufficient living.