Hemp House: South Africa’s Most Sustainable Home Made From An “Illegal Narcotic”

Blogger's Note: A big thumbs up and congratulations to Tony Budden on the completion of his first hemp house in South Africa. I know Tony has been working for years to advance the cause of industrial hemp and is a true pioneer in the re-legalization effort. One of my favorite quotes from him is his claim that the cannabis plant has a special energy about it because so many people around the world are fighting for its freedom.




by Tafline Laylin
Source: inhabitat.com



Because South African authorities do not distinguish between hemp and the euphoric THC-laden "dagga" plant, its benefits as a super-sustainable building material have largely gone untapped. Until now - a tireless hemp advocate, Tony Budden joined forces with Dutch architect Erwin van der Weerd from Perfect Places to build South Africa's first seven-roomed hemp house in Noordhoek. The home is designed to showcase hemp's incredible potential as a building material and convince the government to remove obstacles for widespread commercial development of one of the most resilient, versatile, and fast-growing carbon sinks on earth.

The home is completely biodegradable and features one of the most sustainable building materials on earth: hemp!


The staircase is made from laser-cut steel and locally-sourced ash (FSC certified, of course.)






The flooring is made from cork while 85% of the cabinetry and furniture is made from hemp.






With superior insulation, north/south orientation, solar paneling, rainwater harvesting, and advanced wastewater treatment systems on-site, this incredible showcase building is so much more than just the "Hemp House."
Hemp continues to sequester carbon - making it a great combatant against greenhouse gas emissions.






Although it is illegal to grown hemp in South Africa, Tony Budden's efforts (combined with others) may well pave the way to establishing a local industry that would have widespread benefits for South Africa's people.






Since this is South Africa's very first modular hemp home, the building process entailed a steep learning curve. But the home came out beautifully in the end.




Tony Budden and his partner Duncan Parker aimed to give the Hemp House the lightest carbon footprint possible, but had to import most of the materials since South Africa lacks a domestic supply of hemp products. The internal modular walls are comprised of hemp insulation and sealed with magnesium oxide boards, while the external walls are made from a lime-based hempcrete that is considerably less energy intensive to produce and less dense than traditional cement. But what makes the building South Africa’s most sustainable?

It is passively cooled, heated, and ventilated, incredibly well insulated, and partly powered by solar energy. The floors are made from sustainably-sourced cork, 85% of the furniture and cabinetry is made from hempboard, and all of the grey and black water will be treated and recycled. Also included are LED lamps to reduce energy use, eco-paints to prevent harmful off-gassing, and reclaimed stone.

Not only is the Hemp House an impressive achievement in sustainable building, but Budden’s determination to overcome misguided regulatory roadblocks to illustrate the huge environmental and social advantages of growing hemp locally puts this groundbreaking home on par with Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu peace efforts. Already government officials are reconsidering their formerly-held bias against what is actually an excellent antidote to water and chemical-happy fibers such as cotton.