Both Thermoplan and Tradical Hemcrete have now become significant players for buildings aiming for Code level 4 and above. At this level it becomes reasonably complicated to design walling with conventional materials such that the costs involved mean it is easier and quicker to use the alternatives.
The Natural House, built at the BRE’s Innovation Park, is an alternative response to environmental efficiency in sustainable homebuilding from The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment. The Prince’s Foundation expects The Natural House to deliver significant energy savings right from manufacture to daily use, to offer good indoor air quality, to be simple and quick to construct and to appeal to the increasingly eco-aware homebuyer.
The building envelope has been constructed with products supplied by NBT, including the ThermoPlan fired clay, thin-joint wall block system, NBT Pavatex roof insulation system, and natural renders and plasters. For more details see http://www.natural-building.co.uk/news/2009/building-better-naturally.html.
Tradical Hemcrete has also been used in the NNFCC Renewable House, also built at the BRE Innovation Park. The house is based around using renewable materials to deliver a low cost, affordable house that meets Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes through materials alone, with a build cost of £75,000, excluding groundworks. Whilst offering significantly minimised embodied CO2, the design also enables the easy enhancement to meet Levels 5 and 6.
The Renewable House was delivered by the NNFCC with funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The house was Project Managed by contractor The Linford Group who managed the design development and construction. They worked with design partners Empyer Homes and Archial Architects.
The key building material, Hemcrete®, was provided by product manufacturer Lime Technology and the development overseen by client’s agent Benchmark Property. For more details see http://www.renewable-house.co.uk/.
Another Hemcrete project, which is about to start is an innovative green housing development in Swindon that is the brainchild of ‘Grand Designs’ presenter Kevin McCloud.
HabOakus, a partnership between Kevin McCloud’s development company Hab Housing and Oakus Wiltshire, has been given approval to build 42 homes that will meet Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, but with the potential for upgrading to zero carbon status. The scheme, called the Triangle, is due to be built from Tradical Hemcrete. For more info see http://www.24dash.com/news/Housing/2009-12-04-Work-to-start-on-Kevin-McClouds-hemp-housing-scheme.
I look forward to seeing many more!!