As one of Britain's leading straw bale builders Amazonails, originally a women's roofing company established by Barbara in 1989, is at the forefront of sustainable building practices. And this technology could be used to build the London Olympic village for 2012, argued Barbara.

"We could build totally sustainable housing for the athletes, which could be used by housing associations after the event.

"We think we've got the best ideas but it's very difficult getting past the vested interests in the building trade. At the moment we're working out the costs and we will put in a bid. We could involve students, schools, local communities and create an education programme around the scheme: it wouldn't just be the building it would be about involving everyone," Barbara enthused.

Education is one of the main pillars of the Amazonails ethos, along with sustainable building and a belief in people and positive lifestyles. And, of course, there's Barbara's crusade against cement, the main ingredient in concrete.

"In our buildings we avoid cement and plastic; both unsustainable materials. Cement is one of the main emitters of green house gases. It is a very modern material so we've gone back to old techniques of building before cement was available. For example we don't dig foundations, we use earth foundations, as our predecessors did. It's all about understanding the materials. We use sustainable materials, old and new, such as lime, which was used by our ancestors 12,000 years ago, and foamglass which is a structurally strong material made from recycled bottles that offers great insulation."

And insulation is another of those key words; one which should be taken more seriously in this world of rising energy prices and climate change fears, argued Barbara, who champions the idea of problem solving designs coupled with the best materials.

"If we design our houses better we don't need to heat them: even during the winter. If the house is in the right place, facing the right direction and with design features that allow for the heat from the sun to be absorbed and released slowly, there's not need for heating at all.

"We need to plan better; we need to value our lifestyles more and instead of cramming as many houses as possible into a single plot we should spread houses out and allow natural sunlight into our lives. Our homes have such a big impact on our lives and affect our happiness. As a society we don't value our housing and it's now starting to show in the social ills in society."

Amazonails are here to show the way forward into a brighter future, in more ways than one. Constructing a straw building, with the help of Barbara and her team of dedicated builders and ambassadors, is a unique experience.