Commercial and residential architects will be able to more easily design for US buildings using hemp-lime (hempcrete) thanks to new technical resources released this week through the US Hemp Building Association.
“US architects who want to design homes and the big multi-story hemp-lime projects that are popping up in Europe have been frustrated because there’s no easy way to spec these materials in US projects,” said Ray Kaderli, USHBA president.
The USHBA Architect’s Toolkit rolls out as hemp building materials are being featured in DC on the National Mall in HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase, and the American Institute of Architecture’s A24 Conference takes place in DC.
https://www.hempbuildmag.com/home/architects-toolkit
In 2024, USHBA removed barriers for residential home projects when a Hemp-Lime (Hempcrete) Appendix BL was published in the 2024 US Model Residential Codes.
Appendix BL will allow use of hemp-lime in buildings up to two stories in regions of low seismic risk prescriptively without engineering. Regions of high risk and taller buildings still fall under the code, but will require an engineered design.
The IRC is a model code for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, and is the basis for the residential code in 48 states (except Wisconsin and Arkansas).
US Hemp Building Association has partnered with ARCAT to publish specifier details for hemp-lime (Hempcrete) Thermal Insulation. Architects use guide specs when incorporating a material into a project’s construction bid documents. Specs for hemp-lime wall infill material include technical data, ASTM standards (as developed), performance features and product attributes.
https://www.ushba.org/architects-toolkit
Exciting news for industry!
Proudly making hempcrete building materials in the USA since 2018, Hemp and Block is one of few domestic manufacturers who meet the experience requirement to qualify in order to supply the commercial building industry. We are going to celebrate 6 year’s experience making these materials as of Aug 2024!
All the tremendous benefits of using hempcrete (sustainability, beautiful homes, utility cost savings, and more!) will be exponentially realized through widespread adoption into both residential and commercial projects. Rather than just one or two custom new builds each year per state, let’s look towards thousands of new builds across the US including for hotels, office buildings, warehouses, multi-family housing and last but certainly not least: affordable housing that actually feels great to live in.
Big thanks to USHBA, industry stakeholders and collaborators who by working together have brought the US Hemp Building Industry forward in a big way. Cheers!
– Derek Wolf, Founder and CEO, Hemp and Block