Durra Panel: Turning agricultural waste straw into low carbon building material

Durra Panel makes construction panels from 96% straw fiber and 4% recycled kraft paper with no chemicals or toxic waste. The panels store carbon pulled from the atmosphere by annual crops like wheat and rice, offering a biogenic alternative to conventional materials with high embodied carbon. The product provides acoustic, thermal, and fire performance and can be used for walls, ceilings, and floors in commercial and residential projects. AJC Architects used over 2,500 square meters of Durra Panel at Newington College's Eungai Creek Campus. The project also integrated biochar into the panel core to capture volatile organic compounds, effectively turning walls into air filters. The panels are made in Bendigo, Australia, and have been used in airports, stadiums, and disaster relief housing over the past three decades.