modece architects

sustainable architecture 11

Hemp grows very well in the East of England. It is an annual crop which thrives even without agrochemicals. To use hemp as a building material the fibre first needs to be stripped off the outside of the plant stem, leaving the core which is chopped and treated to prevent it from biodegrading. The treated core is either mixed with lime or used dry as a building material.

Hemp and lime is used as a 300mm thick external walling material,  cast around an untreated softwood timber frame. Hemp is also used for internal floors and roof insulation, providing a 100% hemp enclosure to our buildings.

Hemp buildings are warm in winter and cool in summer and they have excellent acoustic properties with little or no echo and sound transmission between rooms. Hemp buildings are also moisture permeable, allowing the structure to breathe.

Hemp combined with lime and timber enables our buildings to become much more environmentally responsible. No synthetic materials are needed. Hemp buildings meet the requirements of the building regulations and provide a healthy living environment. We have unique and extensive experience of building with hemp  and our research work can be found on the Building Research Establishment's website (www.projects.bre.co.uk/hemphomes). We can also arrange visits to hemp buildings.