Totora, nogal & straw - Totora, tocte & paja.
While thinking of building with natural materials and plants, one usually imagines wood, but, the world of plants offer other materials, smaller and softer, that used in certain ways can create an industrialized material. Totora is a type of grass that grows next to lakes, likes humidity in the air too. It has a fast growth. In Ecuador, it is been harvested in Imbabura to make with it panels using some natural glue. Nogal or Tocte is a fruty tree that produces a black hard nut called tocte. The shell of this nut is being used also to make panels while the interior of the nut can be eaten.
Arq. Oscar Jara is an open sponsor for the industrialized use of this material. Producing at small scale panels and showing them everywhere is possible.
https://issuu.com/oscarjaravinueza/docs/articulo_rev_camicon_febr_marz_2021
https://www.ceba.org.ec/canamo/
https://issuu.com/oscarjaravinueza/docs/totora_rotot_catalogo__arq_jara