The Hempcrete Book: Designing and Building with Hemp-Lime (Sustainable Building #5)

The Hempcrete Book: Designing and Building with Hemp-Lime (Sustainable Building #5)

William Stanwix, Alex Sparrow
$50.00
Publication Date: October 9th, 2014
Publisher:
Green Books
ISBN:
9780857841209
Pages:
368

Description

The Hempcrete Book is a detailed practical manual for architects, surveyors, professional builders and self-builders. It explains how to source and mix hempcrete and how to use it in new builds and restoration. In colour throughout, fully illustrated with beautiful photographs, this book provides a full explanation of construction techniques, highlighting potential pitfalls and how to avoid them. It includes a comprehensive resources section and examples of completed builds, with design notes. 

Hempcrete is a building material with excellent properties. It’s made from lime and hemp shivs (a waste product from hemp fibre growing) and can be used for walls, floors, and for roof insulation.

Hempcrete is breathable, absorbing and emitting moisture; this helps regulate internal humidity, avoiding trapped moisture and mould growth, and creating healthier buildings. It provides excellent acoustic and thermal insulation and thermal mass. It’s light-weight, reducing construction costs, and it’s environmentally friendly: it locks up CO2 for the life of the building, and the hemp doesn’t require agrochemicals or insecticides in its cultivation. 

The Hempcrete Book is a valuable tool for any eco-builder.

About the Author

William Stanwix is a qualified building surveyor and founder of a growing UK company which specialises in new build and restoration with hempcrete and other natural building materials. Along with ongoing construction projects, Will provides consultancy, technical design and training for people interested in building with hempcrete and other natural building materials.

Alex Sparrow works for one of only a handful of companies working with hempcrete in the UK and the only one to work with self-builders. Alex works on the strategic development of the company but still regularly take the opportunity to get his hands dirty on the building sites. Beyond the day-job, he is also a freelance writer on natural building.

Praise for The Hempcrete Book: Designing and Building with Hemp-Lime (Sustainable Building #5)

We are delighted that Alex and Will are publishing such an excellent and comprehensive text book on building with hemp and lime. Our pioneering work in the late 1990s and the building of the two hemp houses in Haverhill in Suffolk was a real milestone for the material because we were able to give builders, building inspectors and insurers the confidence they needed to carry on building with it. This book provides clear guidance through its photos, text and sketches on all aspects of building with this ‘deep green’ material and takes our early work forward into the mainstream. It is a must-have for anyone planning to build with hempcrete, whether in renovation or new build projects. Ralph Carpenter and Richard Scales, MODECE ARCHITECTS, Suffolk

The book contains lots of good advice and general good building practice... I would recommend this book to anyone working in the field of sustainable building. Ian Pritchett

Any architect, designer, owner or builder thinking of building in hemp or using lime in their build should obtain this book before they start. The Owner Builder Neil Garrett

Eco-friendly and sustainability issues are now a key element in the design process and the authors of this publication proudly affirm that Hempcrete buildings can provide affordable, healthy, energy-efficient and sustainable accommodation. Building Engineer Dvid Phythian

They have a great knowledge of their favourite product, which they willingly share here with those eager to embrace this relatively new wonder product whose origins date to ancient times. Self Build & Design Magazine

Truly comprehensive and enormously helpful. I wish we’d had this guide when building our Hempcrete homes in Swindon! Kevin McCloud

If you are interested in learning more about using living materials for construction and how to use hempcrete for your upcoming projects or tests, I encourage you to get this book today. It is by far, the most detailed version on the market and completely easy to understand INmatteria.com Mabelle Plasencia

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