Realizing Hemp as Sustainable Construction Material by Dolores Halbin , contributing writer
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On The Hemp Road
Realizing Hemp as Sustainable Construction Material by Dolores Halbin , contributing writer
I was an optimistic 16-year-old rebel with a cause when I wrote my first essay on the wonders of hemp . I still have that 53-year-old typewritten paper in a box somewhere . Suffice to say , it was many , many moons ago . Now , I am a 69-yearold rebel with so many causes , as my friend Bonna says , nobody wants to talk to me .
But baby , we have the blueprints and building codes ! Dozens of companies are successfully producing the infrastructure products we need to ditch the “ Toxic Home Syndrome ,” which , according to Yale University Climate Change Council , is poisoning us all — especially those apartment buildings that won ’ t let us open the windows and convert to hemp ! From Tiny Houses to Chicken Coops to Office Buildings , hemp construction is here to stay and grow .
Hemp products are not new . Hemp has been around for a long , long time . A short history on Green Camp ’ s website , www . greencamp . com / hemphouses , featured history I didn ’ t know .
“ The use of hemp as a building material dates back to ancient times . The most famous site is probably a hemp mortar bridge in France from the 6th century , but it ’ s a lesser known fact that the famous Colosseum had sunscreen awnings made from cotton , flax , and hemp .” 1 In late 20th century France , a new technique to make hempcrete was introduced , and much of the infrastructure of France was built with hempcrete .
The first American hemp house was built in 2010 in Nashville , NC .
Hemp disappeared for eight decades during cannabis prohibition , and we can all thank the Lego company for literally being the bricks that got us off the ground . Lego started using
hemp plastic in 2019 , helping to bring hemp to the mainstream .
X Carbon Architecture has brought the Legostyle bricks up to code and is now using hemp snap-together bricks in mainstream home construction . I did have a little trouble getting into their website . They wanted me to register and create an account before I could take a peek .
The online magazine Hemp Build offers blueprints of its Tiny Hemp Homes . They have a quick and easy contact at www . hempbuildmag . com .
Hempcrete building blocks .
Hemp Technologies Global also offers a variety of blueprints for hemp houses that are not so tiny , up to about 500 square feet . It even has a solar blueprint for anyone wanting to get off the grid . I like the mission statement on its website : “ If we as a company continue to build healthy , non-toxic , energy saving , clean-air homes using Hemp + Lime demand WILL increase for farmers everywhere to grow industrial hemp as a ‘ Break Crop ’ adding more jobs and prosperity to every region . Internal deficits will drop and the air we breathe gets cleaner for everyone with Zero landfills .” 2
Hemp Build houses have an Energy Star and HomeStar ratings . They even have the blueprints for a hemp hen house !
Hemp Frontiers has been selling hempcrete houses since 2011 . Its website was updated in 2020 , so they are a proven , stable , long-term business . The company , based in Ashville , NC , incorporates all forms of environmental housing , including solar . It actually has the building plans on its website for a hemp office building ! Go Hemp Frontiers !
I was thrilled when I came across the Yale Climate Connections , a news service that aims to help us understand the reality of climate change and what we can do about it . Through its website , YouTube channel , and national radio program , which airs daily on hundreds of stations , Yale Climate Connections reaches millions of people each year . 3
The organization is staffed by professional journalists , meteorologists , and radio producers . It is an independent and nonpartisan alumni-funded initiative of the Yale Center for Environmental Communication , directed by Dr . Anthony Leiserowitz of the Yale School of the Environment at Yale University . Yale ’ s website has a plethora of information !
“ When you think about the materials that make up your home , oil probably isn ’ t at the top of your list . There ’ s a good chance it should be , however ,” according to LTL Architects , featured on Yale ’ s Website .
“ Over one million homes built each year in North America are increasingly assembled and glued together from petrochemical-based materials throughout , from vinyl floors and 44 May 2024