HEMP-BASED INSULATION MAKES A COMEBACK IN BELGIUM

Oct 29, 2015 by Casey Coates Danson

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Hempcrete is actually quite similar to concrete, but is carbon negative, waterproof, fireproof, insulates well, and is completely recyclable, making it an optimal green building material. Architect Nikolaas Martens, one of the two co-founders of Martens Van Caimere Architecten, told Dezeen that hempcrete’s sustainable qualities make it an easy choice for home renovations.

Related: Nation’s First Hemp House Makes A Healthy Statement

“In our projects we try finding solutions to lower the building costs,” he told Dezeen. “In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Belgians were building houses that were badly or not insulated. So renovating these houses in a sustainable way tends to be expensive. Hempcrete combines the insulation and finishing in one layer, reducing building costs.” “Plus,” he continued, “it is durable and sustainable, because it is made from a waste product.”

In working with the Belgian architects on their home renovation, the owners wanted the house to be as efficient as possible. Accordingly, the hempcrete insulation was used in the renovation process in addition to other energy-efficient features such as solar panels and a rainwater filtration system that provides water heated by a wood-burning stove.

+ Martens Van Caimere Architecten

Via Dezeen

Photography by Cedric Verhelst