Architecture

British architects build a low-carbon home using hemp

British architects build a low-carbon home using hemp
A sustainable three bedroom home dubbed Flat House boasts a flat-pack design using hemp materials grown on the 20-acre property
A sustainable three bedroom home dubbed Flat House boasts a flat-pack design using hemp materials grown on the 20-acre property
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The hemp-filled cassette panels and cladding were prefabricated off-site, allowing the main part of the home to be assembled in just two days
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The hemp-filled cassette panels and cladding were prefabricated off-site, allowing the main part of the home to be assembled in just two days
Construction of the Flat House designed by Practice Architecture
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Construction of the Flat House designed by Practice Architecture
A sustainable three bedroom home dubbed Flat House boasts a flat-pack design using hemp materials grown on the 20-acre property
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A sustainable three bedroom home dubbed Flat House boasts a flat-pack design using hemp materials grown on the 20-acre property
The new hemp-based construction method could replace traditional building techniques as an eco-friendly alternative
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The new hemp-based construction method could replace traditional building techniques as an eco-friendly alternative
Many of the hemp panels have been left exposed throughout the interior of the home, adding to its warm and rustic aesthetic
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Many of the hemp panels have been left exposed throughout the interior of the home, adding to its warm and rustic aesthetic
London-based architecture firm Practice Architecture has built a family residence using prefabricated panels made with hemp
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London-based architecture firm Practice Architecture has built a family residence using prefabricated panels made with hemp
The architects worked closely with their clients from Margent Farm, located in Cambridgeshire, UK, who run a hemp and flax farm for developing bio-plastics
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The architects worked closely with their clients from Margent Farm, located in Cambridgeshire, UK, who run a hemp and flax farm for developing bio-plastics
The two-story Flat House was designed as a hemp-based construction prototype
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The two-story Flat House was designed as a hemp-based construction prototype
Collaborating with engineers and material specialists, the architects were successful in creating a prefabricated panel filled with hemp
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Collaborating with engineers and material specialists, the architects were successful in creating a prefabricated panel filled with hemp
The home is uniquely clad with hemp fiber and sugar resin corrugated sheeting
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The home is uniquely clad with hemp fiber and sugar resin corrugated sheeting
Double height ceilings and glass walls open the home up to its rural surrounds
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Double height ceilings and glass walls open the home up to its rural surrounds
Flat House features a large rustic kitchen
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Flat House features a large rustic kitchen
The home was built using a timber frame and cassette panels with hemp and lime insulation
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The home was built using a timber frame and cassette panels with hemp and lime insulation
Natural timber work and flooring is featured throughout the home
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Natural timber work and flooring is featured throughout the home
Many of the hemp panels have been left exposed throughout the interior of the home
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Many of the hemp panels have been left exposed throughout the interior of the home
The private sleeping quarters are located on the second story
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The private sleeping quarters are located on the second story
The 100-sq-m (1,076-sq-ft) family home was built using a timber frame and cassette panels with hemp and lime insulation
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The 100-sq-m (1,076-sq-ft) family home was built using a timber frame and cassette panels with hemp and lime insulation
The end result is a rustic three bedroom home with an open plan living area
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The end result is a rustic three bedroom home with an open plan living area
The natural hemp material is breathable, allowing it to help improve air-quality and control air-moisture
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The natural hemp material is breathable, allowing it to help improve air-quality and control air-moisture
The 100-sq-m (1,076-sq-ft) family home is uniquely clad with hemp fiber and sugar resin corrugated sheeting, with both materials grown on site
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The 100-sq-m (1,076-sq-ft) family home is uniquely clad with hemp fiber and sugar resin corrugated sheeting, with both materials grown on site
The interior of the Flat House features an abundance of windows, natural light and good airflow
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The interior of the Flat House features an abundance of windows, natural light and good airflow
Flat House boasts a flat-pack design using materials grown on the 20-acre property
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Flat House boasts a flat-pack design using materials grown on the 20-acre property
Hemp has the potential to play a significant role in a move away from high carbon materials
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Hemp has the potential to play a significant role in a move away from high carbon materials
Flat House features an adjacent hot house
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Flat House features an adjacent hot house
View gallery - 24 images

London-based Practice Architecture has built a family residence using prefabricated panels made with hemp. The architects worked closely with their clients from Margent Farm, located in Cambridgeshire, England, who run a hemp and flax farm for developing bio-plastics. The result is a sustainable three bedroom home dubbed Flat House, which boasts a flat-pack design using materials grown on the 20-acre property.

“Flat House was inspired by the provocation to build a flat-pack home with materials grown on the land around the building,” Practice Architecture tells New Atlas. “It is a ground breaking radically low embodied carbon house.”

The new hemp-based construction method could replace traditional building techniques as an eco-friendly alternative
The new hemp-based construction method could replace traditional building techniques as an eco-friendly alternative

The two-story Flat House was designed as a hemp-based construction prototype, with the intention of introducing this new method into the building industry for larger scale projects. Collaborating with engineers and material specialists, the architects were successful in creating a prefabricated panel filled with hemp.

“Hemp has the potential to play a significant role in a move away from high carbon materials, as the plant sequesters carbon as it grows, making it a carbon negative material,” says the firm. “We are still awaiting our final carbon calculations to demonstrate it is zero carbon. The house is remarkable for its radically low embodied carbon, which has been achieved through the use of predominantly natural and site-grown materials.”

Construction of the Flat House designed by Practice Architecture
Construction of the Flat House designed by Practice Architecture

The 100-sq-m (1,076-sq-ft) family home was built using a timber frame and cassette panels with hemp and lime insulation. In addition, the home is uniquely clad with hemp fiber and sugar resin corrugated sheeting, with both materials grown on site. The hemp-filled cassette panels and cladding were prefabricated off-site, allowing the main part of the home to be assembled in just two days.

The end result is a rustic three bedroom home with an open plan living area, bathroom and adjacent hot house. The interior of the Flat House features large open spaces; natural timber work and flooring throughout; an abundance of windows, natural light and good airflow; gorgeous double height kitchen, living room and dinning area; and private sleeping quarters located on the second story.

Many of the hemp panels have been left exposed throughout the interior of the home, adding to its warm and rustic aesthetic
Many of the hemp panels have been left exposed throughout the interior of the home, adding to its warm and rustic aesthetic

Many of the hemp panels have been left exposed throughout the interior of the home, adding to its warm and rustic aesthetic. The natural hemp material is breathable, allowing it to help improve air-quality and control air-moisture, while also preventing the development of mildew and mold. The home is fitted with a biomass boiler for its heating needs and solar panels on its roof for off-grid living.

The final cost to build Flat House has not been revealed by the architects, however the project has led to the establishment of Material Companies, a sister company to Practice Architecture, which will be taking up the mantle with the ambition to deliver hundreds of hemp homes across the United Kingdom.

Source: Practice Architecture via Dezeen

View gallery - 24 images
2 comments
2 comments
JDC1
I hope this works out for them. Too bad we will never hear anything about it again. My bet is that several yrs down the road, the plant materials start having issues with mold, and that will be that.
Signguy
Hempcrete is a building material superior to concrete; lighter, stonger, it breathes, it reduces pollution, and it grows like a weed so it's incredibly sustainable.
It needs to be completely made legal in the world for its incredible versatility, in clothes, materials for speaker cones, food, drugs, etc.