Iceland’s first building made from hempcrete was designed by Lúdika Architects and was funded by several grants. Given the size and height limitations of this BioBuilding project, Lúdika drew inspiration from the philosophy of Japanese tea houses, which emphasize craftsmanship, are often made of natural materials, and are very small. It is only 15 square meters (161 sf), uses local materials as much as possible for foundations, structural frames, cladding, and seaweed screens.
Hempcrete is a mixture of hemp hurds, lime, and water. Hempcrete is free from toxins and provides insulation, is resistant to mold and fire, is soundproof, and can be broken down and used as fertilizer at the end of its lifecycle.
They teamed up with young journeymen from Germany who spent the summer with them building the house. Instruments will be installed in the building to record its performance and provide a concrete assessment of how hempcrete withstands Icelandic weather. Hempcrete houses are considered among the healthiest buildings available, as the walls are made of natural materials that breathe. They maintain good temperature and humidity levels indoors.
Lúdika is experimenting with the use of Icelandic seaweed as screens. Seaweed is kind of the hemp of the ocean, as it absorbs a substantial amount of carbon from the atmosphere and grows rapidly like hemp. It is abundant along Iceland’s shores. Timber frames were built and covered with the seaweed screens. The frames were attached inside the windows of the house, capturing sunlight and providing privacy.
BioBuilding emphasizes craftsmanship and the understanding of the building material, its composition, and properties. Lúdika is looking towards a future where not all building materials need to be imported but where local materials can be used.
You can read the original article at www.icelandreview.com
There’s kilotons of potential for this prototype home, 15 square metres is rather small, but with efficient and careful floor planning, you can squeeze quite a bit into that size building. Two bedrooms, one bath and a living room with kitchenette could fit. It is likely to be several decades before hempcrete makes its way to the USA because of the idiotic and futile War on Drugs.
Actually this previous blog posts shows that hempcrete is now being manufactured in the US by Native American tribe: https://naturalbuildingblog.com/a-native-sioux-tribe-is-building-the-first-hempcrete-plant-in-the-us/
Hemp-lime (aka hempcrete) has been coming to North America for about 20 years now, and there are numerous projects built with it – mainly with materials brought in from Europe unfortunately. But the industry is growing, as mentioned above.
I think the size of this place is due to the fact that it was a test and it was paid for by grants. Yes, you can get quite a bit in a small space, but it seems that is not the point. I do like the point that the architect wants to see “a future where not all building materials need to be imported but where local materials can be used.” This will be key for hemp-lime and for making a much more sustainable and vernacular industry once again.