T
The420Guy
Guest
Hemp might be more usually associated with rope and illegal cigarettes, but it could become the London brick of the 21st Century.
A Suffolk-based study into using the material to build environmentally-friendly homes has found hemp to be the ideal choice and, although more expensive than conventional brick and block, experts are sure the costs will fall.
The project in Haverhill has given analysts the chance to examine the environmental impact and energy costs involved in the construction and use of four identical houses.
Two have been built using the specially-produced sheets of hemp, lime and timber as the main materials, while the others are of traditional brick and block construction.
The project is the first in Britain to use hemp to build complete houses and the main conclusions are they have a far less negative impact on the environment — using less energy to build, producing less waste and taking less to heat.
But they cost about 10% more to build than brick and block homes, although the difference could well fall if hemp construction was to be adopted on a commercial scale.
Suffolk Housing Society chief executive Steve Clarke — who commissioned the project — said: "At the moment it comes down to what the building industry regards as being the most important factor when it comes to deciding on future construction methods — financial or environmental cost.
"I believe the findings will be of interest to both public sector and private house builders. The hemp system does have advantages over brick and block construction and, if adopted, could mean a change in the way houses are built in the future."
The hemp used in the Haverhill homes was grown in France, but the crop is grown in the UK. It is combined with lime before being poured into wooden shuttering which, when removed, reveal the walls of the new timber-framed houses.
Each hemp home at the site in Park Road features natural materials such as wooden window frames and clay tiles on the floor of the kitchen.
Mr Clarke said: "This project has the potential of changing the way we think about building homes in a more environmentally-friendly way.
"There is a growing interest in building properties in a more sustainable way and we have had interest from around the world from people keen to know more."
Mike Dawson, acting director of St Edmundsbury Borough Council's housing department, said the authority — which helped fund the project — was delighted with the results of the study.
"We're very, very pleased with this as a development experiment for social housing. But it's not just housing, it's about sustainable development, making sure the houses we're building leave the smallest possible environmental footprint," he added.
Mr Dawson said he was confident the price would fall as the technique developed and believed hemp homes would become a feasible option for affordable homes in the near future.
Jessee Mulcock and her five-year-old son Vinni moved into the second hemp house during the spring.
Ms Mulcock moved from a flat in Haverhill and said the hemp home is far warmer. Otherwise, she had noticed little difference, but added: "It's just like any other home, but I really hope they take off because it's so good for the environment."
For more information, contact:
James Mortlock
E-mail: james.mortlock@eadt.co.uk
Copyright © 2002, Archant Regional. All rights reserved.
A Suffolk-based study into using the material to build environmentally-friendly homes has found hemp to be the ideal choice and, although more expensive than conventional brick and block, experts are sure the costs will fall.
The project in Haverhill has given analysts the chance to examine the environmental impact and energy costs involved in the construction and use of four identical houses.
Two have been built using the specially-produced sheets of hemp, lime and timber as the main materials, while the others are of traditional brick and block construction.
The project is the first in Britain to use hemp to build complete houses and the main conclusions are they have a far less negative impact on the environment — using less energy to build, producing less waste and taking less to heat.
But they cost about 10% more to build than brick and block homes, although the difference could well fall if hemp construction was to be adopted on a commercial scale.
Suffolk Housing Society chief executive Steve Clarke — who commissioned the project — said: "At the moment it comes down to what the building industry regards as being the most important factor when it comes to deciding on future construction methods — financial or environmental cost.
"I believe the findings will be of interest to both public sector and private house builders. The hemp system does have advantages over brick and block construction and, if adopted, could mean a change in the way houses are built in the future."
The hemp used in the Haverhill homes was grown in France, but the crop is grown in the UK. It is combined with lime before being poured into wooden shuttering which, when removed, reveal the walls of the new timber-framed houses.
Each hemp home at the site in Park Road features natural materials such as wooden window frames and clay tiles on the floor of the kitchen.
Mr Clarke said: "This project has the potential of changing the way we think about building homes in a more environmentally-friendly way.
"There is a growing interest in building properties in a more sustainable way and we have had interest from around the world from people keen to know more."
Mike Dawson, acting director of St Edmundsbury Borough Council's housing department, said the authority — which helped fund the project — was delighted with the results of the study.
"We're very, very pleased with this as a development experiment for social housing. But it's not just housing, it's about sustainable development, making sure the houses we're building leave the smallest possible environmental footprint," he added.
Mr Dawson said he was confident the price would fall as the technique developed and believed hemp homes would become a feasible option for affordable homes in the near future.
Jessee Mulcock and her five-year-old son Vinni moved into the second hemp house during the spring.
Ms Mulcock moved from a flat in Haverhill and said the hemp home is far warmer. Otherwise, she had noticed little difference, but added: "It's just like any other home, but I really hope they take off because it's so good for the environment."
For more information, contact:
James Mortlock
E-mail: james.mortlock@eadt.co.uk
Copyright © 2002, Archant Regional. All rights reserved.
