Inside the Talking Architecture & Design Podcast: Why Better Materials Matter

One of the first topics Branko explored was the history behind Durra Panel. Although many people still see compressed straw panels as an emerging technology, Derek explained that the story stretches back much further. Having started his career with compressed strawboard in the late 1970s before acquiring the Bendigo manufacturing operation in 1991, he has spent more than four decades refining and developing the product into the system used today.

Over that time, Durra Panel has evolved from a residential building product into a complete wall and ceiling system specified on airports, stadiums, schools, commercial buildings and major infrastructure projects across Australia. That evolution wasn’t simply about changing the panel itself. It also included developing new installation methods, including Durra Panel’s ground-based lifting system, which allowed large ceiling modules to be assembled safely before being craned into position. For major builders, it reduced work at height, improved efficiency and demonstrated that sustainable materials could also solve practical construction challenges.

The conversation then shifted to what Durra Panel is actually made from, and for many listeners, the answer was probably simpler than expected.

Durra Panel is manufactured from approximately 96% agricultural straw and 4% recycled kraft paper, with no added chemical resins or synthetic binders. Instead of relying on adhesives, the manufacturing process uses heat and pressure to activate the straw’s natural lignin—the same compound that gives plants their structural strength—allowing the fibres to bond naturally.

Derek explained that this philosophy has always been about working with nature rather than trying to replace it. The straw itself is sourced from annually renewable wheat and rice crops after the grain has been harvested. Rather than allowing that agricultural by-product to be burned or discarded, Durra Panel gives it a second life as a high-performance building material, storing the carbon captured during the growing process within the built environment.

As expected, one of the biggest questions raised during the podcast was fire performance. It’s a question Derek says the team hears regularly, and one that highlights how many assumptions still exist around natural building materials.

The explanation comes down to density. During manufacturing, the straw fibres are compressed under extremely high pressure, leaving insufficient oxygen within the panel to sustain combustion. When exposed to fire, the outer surface forms a protective char layer that slows further heat penetration, much like dense timber behaves under the same conditions. Combined with tested fire-rated systems, this allows Durra Panel to deliver certified fire performance while avoiding the chemical binders found in many conventional products.

The conversation also reinforced another important point. Throughout its history, Durra Panel hasn’t been specified simply because it’s made from straw. It has been specified because it delivers the acoustic, thermal and fire performance required across a diverse range of projects—from airports and stadiums through to schools, commercial buildings and specialist acoustic environments.

While Derek shared the manufacturing and engineering story behind Durra Panel, Michael Jones brought an architect’s perspective to the discussion by looking beyond individual products and considering the broader direction of the industry.

Michael argued that sustainability has traditionally been approached through incremental improvements, ratings and certifications. While those initiatives have helped move the industry forward, he suggested the scale of today’s environmental challenges requires a more fundamental shift. Instead of asking how conventional materials can become slightly more sustainable, architects should be asking whether they are specifying the right materials from the very beginning.

That philosophy has shaped projects such as Newington College’s Eungai Creek Campus, where material selection became a key design driver rather than an afterthought. By prioritising renewable and biogenic materials throughout the project, AJC Architects demonstrated how material choices can contribute not only to reducing embodied carbon, but also to creating healthier, more resilient buildings.

Newington College became one of the strongest examples discussed during the podcast. More than 2,500 square metres of Durra Panel was used throughout the project, helping store carbon while delivering the performance required across the campus. The project also incorporated biochar into the panel core, allowing the walls and ceilings themselves to contribute to improved indoor air quality by adsorbing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other airborne contaminants.

The discussion didn’t stop there. Derek also reflected on projects that demonstrate the versatility of Durra Panel in very different ways. The Sydney 2000 Olympics Media Centre showcased how the product could be returned to the earth at the end of its service life, while the Kids Under Cover program highlighted another aspect of circularity, with prefabricated Durra Panel buildings being dismantled, relocated and rebuilt for new families over many years. Together, these examples reinforced that circular construction is about far more than recycling—it begins with designing systems that continue creating value throughout multiple lifecycles.

Although the podcast explored the technical performance of compressed straw panels in considerable detail, it ultimately became a conversation about something much bigger. It challenged the way the industry thinks about material selection and highlighted the role that manufacturers, architects and builders all play in shaping the future of the built environment.

As expectations around embodied carbon, circularity and healthy buildings continue to grow, the questions discussed throughout the episode are becoming increasingly relevant. For Durra Panel, they are questions that have influenced product development for decades. Today, they are becoming questions the wider construction industry is beginning to ask as well.

If you’d like to hear the full conversation between Derek Layfield, Michael Jones and host Branko Amaletic, you can listen to the complete episode of Talking Architecture & Design here link.