First Phase Of Long Meadow Hemp Homes Complete

11 Jun 2011, 1:37 PM

The first phase of Long Meadow, a newbuild green housing development at Diss in Norfolk has been completed. Built by C-Zero and Barnes Construction, the new homes include 29 affordable homes of the first phase which will eventually see 114 new homes being built on the site. These new homes will specifically offer affordable housing for local people with over 85 properties being sold to eligible local people in Diss. The whole development consists of one and two bedroom apartments and two and three bedroom houses.

The Long Meadow homes have been built using sustainable materials and are designed to be energy efficient with a low carbon footprint. All of the homes have in-built energy saving features including solid, insulated Hemcrete® walls, triple-glazed windows and low energy lighting and heating. All the homes at Long Meadow have external walls built with a timber frame and Hemcrete®, a carbon negative building material that replaces the traditional bricks and blocks of housebuilding. As well as being part of the structure, the 300mm thick walls are both insulating and contribute to the “thermal mass” which keeps the building cool in summer and warm in winter. Hemcrete® is made from the woody part of the hemp plant, bound together with lime, water, and a special ‘glue’. As the hemp grows locally in East Anglia, it locks up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere enabling us to build a house that ‘contains’ 35 tonnes of carbon dioxide less than a traditional house. It is a truly sustainable and renewable material. There is generous insulation in the roof, and this is also an organic natural fibre insulation that is not only effective but sustainable. The windows are triple glazed and wooden framed, thus combining sustainability with a high degree of insulation. Heating is by underfloor heating connected to an air-source heat pump, which keeps a reservoir of water at a steady temperature. The apartments use solar thermal water heating also. As well as shrinking the carbon footprint of the buildings, these green features will reduce the occupant's energy bills. To help keep costs down every home is additionally fitted with a meter that will show the amount of energy that is being used. Virtually all the materials used in the construction are biodegradeable or can be recycled at the end of the building's life, and recycling of waste by the occupants is encouraged by built in bins in all the properties and a regular collection scheme by the local council.