Overview
The book Hemp + Lime: Examining the Feasibility of Building with Hemp and Lime in USA examines the feasibility of hemp + lime production through demonstration projects focusing on the US. It includes introductions to industrial hemp cultivation, hemp and lime use, the potential of manufacturing, and the creation of hemp-based products to create a complete cycle of block production to construct affordable and healthier housing.
Introduction
The design, construction, and production of buildings impacts both human and environmental health. Products manufactured in the current construction system affect the environment and human health at all stages of the life cycle, not only during their use, but also through their processing, manufacturing, and disposal.
Faced with a climate change crisis, there is an increasing demand for the construction industry to produce renewable, environmentally sustainable, and benign construction materials. One of these alternative materials is a product sometimes called hempcrete, made of hemp, lime, and water. This construction material posses a range of valuable physical and natural chemical characteristics including fire resistance, lightness, thermal performance, and a low environmental impact, all of which make it a compelling choice in construction.
Hemp + Lime Book
Possibilities for affordable house residents to live in a healthy indoor environment.
Timeline: August 2018- December 2020
Team: Alison Mears, Irshaad Malloy, tina lê, Jonsara Ruth
Role: Desk Research, Editorial Design, Diagram Design, Photography, illustration.
Client: Healthy Materials Lab
Background
Industrial hemp, once largely banned, has been grown as an agricultural crop linked to hemp-based production systems since the late twentieth and early twenty-first century internationally in many countries including Canada, France, Italy, and New Zealand. In those countries, hemp and lime have been combined and used in several different forms in construction. In the US, hemp was reintroduced after the 2018 Farm Bill reviving historic farming and enabling farmers to learn from international agriculture practices. The US is still working to catch up and establish US-based farming practices and building hemp-lime construction.
Process
During the project, Healthy Materials Lab partnered with local farmers who are exploring a range of possible hemp-based building opportunities, hemp and lime producers, and developers around the world who have been developing techniques and innovative processes. This to demonstrate how healthier building materials can be incorporated to create affordable housing in communities across the United States. Additionally, it provides guidance to integrate hemp and lime in the construction industry. Likewise, we conducted desk research, reviewed existing literature, and visited relevant sites.
Making information accessible
One of the goals of the Healthy Materials Lab is to raise awareness about (building) materials by making complex information accessible and easy to digest. This to facilitate decision-making and assist designers and architects to make healthier places for all people to live.
In the Hemp + Lime book, we integrated diagrams, maps, and Illustrations to help the readers to understand information and processes in a fast and easy way.
Find the draft of the publication here.