VIDEO - Hempcrete House with Special Guest CNBM!

We were honored to participate in the Hemp Building Summit, hosted by Hempitecture this fall, and happy to be rubbing elbows with some of the most informed and enthusiastic minds in the hemp building world. The first hempcrete house in Massachusetts was featured at the event. In our newest video, we throw down some new terms - here they are:

Natural Materials Palette

Natural Materials Palette - a collection of materials made from local, abundant, and whenever possible, renewable sources.

CNBM - Complimentary Natural Building Materials - a term used for plant and mineral-based materials that compliment a dominant material or assembly.

Complimentary natural building materials stack the ecological benefits of their use while providing a vibrant, comfortable, and healthy living environment.

In the Howland House, hempcrete and lime plaster dominated the exterior wall assembly. Local, sustainably-harvested timbers made up the structural frame. Local, sustainably-harvested hardwood and softwood boards line the floors and walls. Cellulose insulation and wood fiberboard insulate the roof.

Together, these complimentary natural building materials build upon the carbon-benefits of the hempcrete wall masses. Their use also supports local economic and ecological systems while enhancing the function, beauty, and value of the home.

We used our 11 minutes of fame to express our enthusiasm for - and the importance of - using a vibrant palette of natural building materials. Hemp, wood, cellulose, fiberboard, timbers, lime, etc. were used to support a healthy, carbon-beneficial building. Check it out!