Lofthouse Group reposted this
Practice Architecture worked alongside hemp farmers to erect this zero-carbon home in Cambridgeshire, England, from pre-fabricated panels in just two days. Flat House is located on Margent Farm, a 53-acre farming facility in rural Cambridgeshire that aims to show off the capabilities of hemp – a fast-growing strain of the cannabis plant. Hemp is already used commercially to manufacture everything from clothing to biofuel. It's increasingly being employed as an eco-friendly building material because of its ability to sequester carbon. Margent Farm cultivates its own supply of hemp, and challenged Practice Architecture to use the plant to create an on-site residence with "incredibly low embodied carbon". The resulting house is also off-grid, with heating and power provided by a biomass boiler and a photovoltaic (PV) array – a system of solar-energy panels – on the roof. Practice Architecture saw the project as a chance to trial using hemp and pre-fabricated building techniques on a large scale. Developing an offsite system allowed them to build efficiently, at speed and to build through the colder months of the year – something that can be difficult with standard hemp construction. Working off-site with engineers and material specialists, the studio developed large panels made from hempcrete – a mixture of hemp and lime. These were then transported back to the farm and, over the course of just two days, erected to form the structural shell of Flat House. The property was constructed over the footprint of a pre-existing barn. The panels have been left exposed on the inside of the house, creating warm, textured surfaces throughout the living spaces. This is complemented by several timber elements like the doors, staircase balustrade and support columns. The materials are breathable meaning they regulate the moisture in the air, resisting damp and mould and leading to a healthier environment and air quality. Bedrooms and a bathroom are arranged across the home's ground level, along with a double-height sitting area that's almost entirely fronted by glass. Its dressed with an array of wooden furnishings and woven floor coverings. The project additionally saw Practice Architecture and Margent Farm develop hemp-fibre tiles, which have been used to clad the house's external façade. Each tile is bound with sugar-based resin sourced from agricultural waste. #sustainability #hempcrete #architecture #archilovers
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