There is only one left in Austria, symbol of the disappearance of thatch: Jacobus van Hoorne, ex-Cern scientist converted to roofing craftsman, is fighting to revive this material with its many ecological virtues.
Vegetal but modern, his house clashes. Its 200 square meters of roof feature a beautiful thatch with a compact pose, obtained thanks to reeds that it cultivates locally on the edge of the superb lake of Neusiedl (east), in a landscape classified by Unesco.
"It only takes two weeks of work to cover a house like this", explains to AFP the 37-year-old physicist who did not hesitate to give up his job within the prestigious European Organization for Nuclear Research ( Cern) in Switzerland, to take over the family business.
After the winter harvest, he clears the straw of weeds and binds it into bundles, using a technique passed down from his father, a Dutchman who emigrated in the 1980s.
Jacobus van Hoorne does not regret his choice, but he is worried about the difficulties on the production side, citing China, which has unbeatable prices and has arrogated an 80% market share in Europe.
For buyers of reeds, concentrated in the Netherlands, Germany, England or France, bringing the goods from Shanghai is no more expensive than getting them on the Old Continent, he complains. And with inflation, it is even harder to match these low prices.
The emergence of drought in Europe further complicated the equation. The harvest is not good, the stems are not mature and painful discounts have to be conceded.
Once common in this region close to Hungary, thatch worthy of postcards was abandoned in the 20th century in favor of tiles and slates, construction materials considered more modern. And much less flammable, which has an impact on insurance premiums.
In recent years, it has experienced a revival in Europe due to its rustic qualities of thermal and sound insulation.
Faced with climate change and the scarcity of resources, "the return to ecological building materials", whose origin dates back to prehistoric alpine dwellings on stilts, is "inevitable", assures Azra Korjenic, expert from the University of Vienna.
Biodegradable, thatch has a negligible carbon footprint, if we take into account "the entire life cycle, from production to disposal".
Lightweight and similar in cost to tiled roofs according to the craftsman, it does not require a very strong frame and can withstand 40 years. Not to mention its CO2 storage capacity through photosynthesis, which is greater than that of forests.
"What is problematic is not the material but the training of craftsmen and the pressure of large groups", underlines the Franco-Austrian architect Raphael Pauschitz, specialist in these themes.
"Thatch, straw, raw earth... all these materials that have no transformation process, where the value is created by the craftsman and his skills, do not interest industrialists."
Yet reed lovers want to keep their spirits up. The architect evokes "projects that flourish everywhere, in small touches".
Marine Leparc, coordinator of the French Association of thatched roofers, also welcomes “a new interest in thatch and in natural materials in general”.
As for Jacobus van Hoorne, his quotes are snapped up like hot cakes by the owners of the few thatched-roof houses in the area in need of a refresh.
01/05/2023 09:04:31 - Breitenbrunn (Austria) (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
