Beautiful, Eco-Friendly And Fire Resistant: Why Architects Are Choosing Walls Made Of Hemp

Sumptuously textured, carbon negative and just a bit more expensive, hempcrete is being increasingly used in eco-friendly building.

Michael Leung first came across hempcrete after a family tragedy.

When his father-in-law died from asbestos-related mesothelioma, Leung, an architect, swore off using toxic materials in building.

“When you go on a healthy building journey, inevitably you bump into hempcrete,” he says.

Building with hemp is growing in popularity, from public buildings in Tasmania to private homes in Byron Bay, with architects looking to more sustainable materials in one of the world’s most carbon intensive-industries. With the ability to capture more than twice its own weight in carbon, purported insulation, moisture- and fire-proof qualities, and now with a hempcrete building winning a National Architecture Awards nod, the eco-material is cementing its place in modern construction.

Read the full article at The Guardian