Kaja Kühl and the Use of Hempcrete
Amidst environmental challenges, how can architects contribute to mitigating the carbon footprint and adverse impacts of construction?
As many architects begin turning to more sustainable methods of building, one material has emerged as a possible game-changer in the quest for eco-friendly construction: hempcrete. Hempcrete is a versatile and sustainable building material made from a mixture of hemp fibers, lime, and water, offering a range of eco-friendly advantages that conventional building materials lack. It is a carbon negative material, so it absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits during production, which can help combat climate change by sequestering carbon in the building itself. Hempcrete also has strong thermal insulation properties which promotes energy efficiency. Hemp is also a fast-growing crop that requires minimal water and no harmful pesticides, which supports sustainable agriculture practices. Hempcrete is extremely versatile and can be used to build insulating walls, linings, roofs, screeds, attic spaces and renders. It was originally used in construction to build non-weight bearing infill walls in France during the 1990s. Hempcrete is about 1/8th the weight of regular concrete, which reduces the embodied energy of a building by reducing the emissions associated with transporting heavy materials.
Brooklyn-based urban designer Kaja Kühl has implemented hempcrete in one of her projects. She created a pair of guest houses on a farm in upstate New York from hempcrete bricks and timber. Each building was insulated using hempcrete with the goal of lowering the embodied carbon of the structures. Kühl is an urban designer and promotes spatial justice, equity, and climate action through her Brooklyn-based practice You Are The City.