Hemp Voices: Argentina Hemp Bioconstruction Workshop

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Jul 9

Written By Jean Lotus

*A workshop participant in General Pico, Argentina. Photo courtesy of Peñi Saavedra*

By Peñi Saavedra

In a milestone for the development of sustainable construction in the Southern Cone, the city of General Pico hosted Argentina’s first theoretical-practical workshop on bioconstruction using industrial hemp and natural techniques. Guided by permaculture principles, the gathering brought together nearly 50 participants from various Argentine provinces, as well as delegations from Cuba and Ecuador, marking the kickoff for the professionalization of hempcrete in the country.

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Americhanvre

South Bend Industrial Hemp

Hillside Center for Sustainable Living

Sativa Building Systems

Silacote Mineral Paints

Earthaus Plaster

HempWood

Evolve Construction

The initiative was driven by Grupo Agrómera in a strategic partnership with architect Jonatan Gómez (LeCoope), permaculturist Fernando Ramos, and the Nueva Escuela Argentina (NEA), whose facilities served as the hub for the event. The workshop was notable for its integrative approach: rather than isolating hemp technology, it was fused with traditional earthen architecture techniques from the Southern Cone, such as lightweight quincha (wattle and daub) and the chorizo pampeano method.

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Healthy Hemp Homes

Riverdale Hemp Gin

Victura Hemp

Prairie Band Ag

*Workshop participants worked with multiple local bio-based building materials and methods. Photo courtesy of Peñi Saavedra*

Community, education, and local roots

The practical component of the workshop had a direct impact on the educational community. During the sessions, attendees—including industry professionals, public and private entities, and hemp advocacy groups—worked collectively on the structure of a future "Playhouse" for the children of the NEA school. Even prior to the main event, the school's students themselves experimented playfully with the natural materials.

Naturalia Construction

Quadra Concrete

CannaVision

EcoStucco

As Argentina takes its first regulatory and production-related steps in processing hemp hurd (the woody core of the hemp stalk), this gathering demonstrates that interest in hemp for housing and ecological purposes is already gaining momentum. By combining hemp’s carbon-capture capabilities and thermal efficiency with accumulated knowledge regarding local earth-based building, the NEA became a laboratory for an efficient, healthy construction model with a distinct Río de la Plata identity.