Hemp Architecture Can Save the Planet

Our future homes are going to be more environmentally friendly thanks to our favourite green plant. Within a few years, hemp, or to be more precise, hempcrete, could become the building material that revolutionises architecture.

Hempcrete is the result of a special mix of hemp, lime and water. Once the calcium carbonate is heated to 900 degrees centigrade, calcium oxide or quicklime is obtained, which results in the necessary lime dust. By mixing water and hemp, calcium hydroxide is obtained, which then leads to this material once the water has evaporated.

This production process for hempcrete has a negative carbon footprint. In addition to this advantage, it is also a fireproof, breathable and flexible material. Because of all these characteristics, hemp could become the perfect ecological material for our homes.

American companies such as Hemp Technologies are already spreading word about its benefits and have even organised seminars about the industrial uses of hemp. However these companies are faced with a significant legal barrier.

Despite the fact that several states in the US have already regulated marijuana for recreational purposes, the commercial production of hemp is prohibited, therefore companies are forced to import it. Meanwhile, France, the United Kingdom and Germany already have hundreds of buildings made out of this environmentally friendly material.

Although it is not a direct replacement for concrete, hempcrete is a good insulator that homes close to roads could take advantage of, thanks to its soundproofing capacity.

Therefore, cannabis is not just useful for combatting illnesses or allowing us to have a good time as we smoke it: it can also be used to enable us to live in safer and more sustainable homes. We just need companies and governments to help us achieve that aim.