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Hempcrete is the Future of Sustainable Innovation in Architecture

Hempcrete, a mixture of hemp and lime, is growing in popularity amongst designers and architects for its sustainable advantages

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By House & Garden South Africa | March 4, 2022 | Architecture

Words by Neil Büchner

When it comes to sustainability, architecture is forward with innovation. Architects and designers around the world are challenging themselves to create buildings and spaces that are in harmony with the environment. Ecologocial construction is the term used to describe this phenomenon, as populations grow rapidly and cities expand, this type of urban greening promotes a symbiotic relationship with nature by reducing the ecological footprint of buildings and emissions in aesthetically pleasing way. The sky is the limit

According to ANS Global, “architecture has existed for thousands of years. A famous example is Angkor Wat , a Cambodian temple complex built in the 12th century AD that still stands today.” The movement grew in popularity in North America in the 1960s as a culmination of a number of factors, such as the fast-growing cities in the USA and embracing the Native American way of living.

These innovative hempcrete structures put a stylish spin on sustainability.

Located on the Rue Marx Dormoy in Paris, this building contains 15 units for social housing along with two ground-floor shops and evokes the deep facades as well as cantilevered balconies found in traditional Parisian architecture.

The structure and its bow windows, in particular, were constructed using a mixture of hempcrete and wood, by French studio Barrault Pressacco.

Social Housing in Paris by Barrault Pressacco

Jonathan Tuckey Design is slated to redefine ecological architecture with an imaginative, sensitively designed hempcrete extension to a Victorian villa in the De Freville Conservation Area near Cambridge.

Hempcrete House in Cambridge.

Conceived as a collection of rooms, each with its own character and unique window placements to create a playful spatial progression, the house will feature three gently sloping roofs, which rise over the main internal spaces, while the ceiling will be stepped to reference the historic detailing on the existing house.