Behind these groundbreaking walls is an idea -- we should be free to live in an environment that is non-toxic; one that helps clean rather than contaminate the air, the earth, and our bodies. That was the pivotal point of my conversation with design/builder Anthony Brenner on his house made from hemcrete based on industrial hemp-- the first in the US. The home has seen a meteoritic rise in the media, with coverage by CNN and USA Today, and even late night TV, but behind the headlines and punchlines shouting out about the latest and greatest green material is a home that fulfills the core concerns of an environmentally-sensitive habitat. With that lens his company Push Design was able to build a great home that is sizable but incredibly light on the environment, energy usage, and total cost.
Located in Asheville, North Carolina, the 3,400 square foot Push House features a mainstream design with some very different systems behind its walls. The home’s use of hempcrete was only the start — for this application, hemp hurds are mixed with lime and water on-site and poured in-between the exterior supporting studs in lifts. It is the core to a breathable wall system — Hemcrete is actually less like concrete and more like infill straw bale, as it is non-structural. The insulating quality is r-2.5 per inch, and it has the unique ability to capture airborne pollutants over time — it absorbs carbon when it is grown and in place. The material’s high thermal mass helps keep a steady interior temperature as well.
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\\\”R-rating of 200 & tires are almost free.\\\”
I think that you missed part of the non-toxic aspects of the article. Tires contain a large amount of petroleum products, something that I\\\’d certainly want to eliminate from my breathing area.
you would still need plenty of insulation in the northern part of the globe since the r- rating is only 2.5. Ugly deign & costly. Try a tire bale house. R-rating of 200 & tires are almost free.
a very interesting and inspiring innovation on hempcrete as the green vision
I wonder what the R-value or R-rating of the “Hemcrete” is? This is a great innovation in the use of hemp products for building material. I hope to see the legalization of hemp in the US in the near future. Our politicians have no idea how hemp could stimulate the economy and help the reduction of carbon emissions in the US. Come on Obama Administration!!!! WE WANT CLEAN AIR AND GREEN JOBS!!
Hemp houses are great. There is a new technology from Australia where you can Grow Your Own Hemp Home! Also offers full construction manual for building with hemp http://www.thehempbuilder.com
Clean and Classy! I love it… I would love to build one! Are you hiring??
Good idea, ugly design (apart from the basic structure).
Someone please call me when one of them go on fire. lol
That’s interesting… the things that they come up with these days.
Where can I get one?
At $452,200, I dare say I can’t afford this “light on cost” house.
fabulous! i want one…