*Wall being purposed to test the application of hempcrete to adobe or terron bricks by Uviña Contreras and Elkin. copyright: Courtesy of Professor Uviña Contreras*

By Dane Vaughn,

This article first appeared in The Built Environment

Supplies and construction techniques involving the use of hemp are now being pursued in experiments by a University of New Mexico Professor and a local business owner. Professor Francisco Uviña Contreras revealed the pursuit in a presentation Tuesday at a local design firm, Hartman Majewski Design Group, which was presented by the American Institute of Architect's Albuquerque chapter.

Uviña Contreras, according to the University of New Mexico (UNM), has studied traditional building methods with earthen materials since 1994, co-authored a book titled Cornerstones' Adobe Architecture, A Conservation Handbook, and has lectured at the School of Architecture and Planning at UNM since 2009.

Sign up for our free newsletter

Americhanvre

South Bend Industrial Hemp

Hillside Center for Sustainable Living

Sativa Building Systems

Silacote Mineral Paints

Earthaus Plaster

HempWood

Evolve Construction

"We have companies in Mexico which Robin has been in contact with them on how they basically have the formula on developing hempcrete," said Uviña Contreras.

Robin Elkin, assistant researcher and owner of Refuge Industrial Hemp Building, is assisting the effort and went about purchasing a "Scoop N Shoot" stucco hopper spray gun to apply hempcrete to a residential structure made with adobe bricks.

Join our FREE online community here

Homeland Hempcrete

Verdant Structural Engineers

Right Coast Hemp

Kanda Hemp Seeds

"We're eventually going to be developing these anchors for the terróns as you can see there, so we can actually apply at least three and a half inches of hempcrete. So that could also be a solution for the use of hempcrete and replacing it from the petroleum or chemical petroleum products that we're using now such as foams," said Uviña Contreras.

Uviña Contreras said that the method is taking off in Europe. According to Market Growth Reports, European countries utilized over 45,000 metric tons of hemp for insulating energy-efficient housing. The report notes that sustainability goals and environmental regulations are driving the demand for the bio-based alternatives as China, France and Canada became the top contributors to the industrial hemp market in 2024.

"In some cases, we use pozzolana just to make it fixed onto the wall. We've never done this before in New Mexico," said Uviña Contreras.

The researchers will conduct experiments with Micropoz's mineral catalyst which when combined with hemp hurd or pulp, high calcium hydrated lime and water, produces a hempcrete that can be sprayed. The mineral catalyst is described as "a special mineral blend to be used to formulate a fast setting and high pozzolanic activity lime binder".

Hempcrete blocks were also discussed, however, due to their lack of compressive strength for load bearing they currently aren't viable for multi-level structures. Once you add any type of aggregate, according to Elkin, then the material's R-value is diminished.

Healthy Hemp Homes

Riverdale Hemp Gin

Victura Hemp

Prairie Band Ag

Aaron Grail Construction

IND HEMP

HempBLOCK USA

Next Genesis Design

R-values, alongside U-values, are a thermal performance measurement based on the conductivity and insulation of a material. R-values specifically reflect heat resistance, meaning the higher the R-value the better the insulation.

Uviña Contreras's presentation began with the history of using earthen materials in construction and transitioned into addressing the environmental concerns of using Portland cement. It included an archived article from Adobe Today that placed the R-value for a 12-inch wall of adobe between R4 to R5. A peer-reviewed paper from 1984 titled Adobe as a Building Material, published by New Mexico Geology, places the R-value of adobe at R2. While environmentally abundant and being easy to repair, the downfall of adobe brick remains its application limits based on region and not meeting the U.S. government's Energy Star program requirements for R-values at or above R11.

Boardwurks Biocomposites

Renewabuild

Hempitecture

East Coast Hemp Supply

Hempitecture, a U.S. based company, manufactures a 100% bio-based hempcrete with an R-value of 2.2–2.5 per inch dependent on density, and an overall R-value of 21 for a 9.25-inch-thick wall. According to Uviña Contreras, the Micropoz mineral catalyst produces a hempcrete with an R-value of 2 per inch on a 3.5-inch-thick wall.

Investigating the potential marriage between adobe and hempcrete, the research team with UNM will submit their paper to Earth USA, an event organized by the non-profit named Adobe in Action who provides education and support in the field of adobe blockmaking. That paper will not be peer-reviewed by Earth USA, but its findings are likely to be discussed at the 3-day conference at the Scottish Rite Center's Alhambra theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico, starting September 18th, 2026. Registration for the event started on June 8th.