Hemp-lime (hempcrete) construction in US residential building codes took a major step forward in Cleveland last week when proposed updates to Appendix BL of the 2027 International Residential Code (IRC) were unanimously approved during the International Code Council (ICC) Committee Week proceedings. An online fundraiser successfully raised more than $12,000 to pay for the code adoption.

The 13th International Hemp Building Symposium (IHBS) is scheduled to take place from October 3–5 on the Lower Sioux Indian Community reservation in Morton, Minnesota. The event marks a historically significant collaboration, positioning the Lower Sioux Community at the forefront of sustainable and regenerative construction in North America.

A group of natural building code experts and building pros submitted updates this summer to the US residential model codes that will make it cheaper and simpler to build with hemp-lime (“hempcrete”). An online fundraiser seeks to raise $12,000 to fund the updates to the 2027 International Residential Code (IRC) that will include ASTM tested 1-hour fire-resistance rated walls.

Colorado couple Vladislav “Vladi” Skrejev and Diana Skrejeva have waited a long time — years, in fact —for hemp-lime insulation work to commence on their 2,000 sq. foot home in  the foothills of Colorado, but the excitement when the house was finally hemped made it all worthwhile, they said. 

Minnesota appears to be the first US state on the path to adopting the newest official residential building codes featuring plant-based building materials after a July 15 hearing in St. Paul.

A new book of architectural details for hemp-lime construction will be published in May, written by a pioneering US hempcrete builder who helped co-author the hemp-lime appendix published for the first time in the 2024 International Residential Codes.

NoCo has been described as the "hemp chamber of commerce" due to its role in bringing together industry representatives from every sector, including a strong support for hemp-based construction

Homeowners returning to their burned-out homes in southern California are facing the painful consequences of the US construction industry’s reliance on cheap plastics and petroleum-based building materials: Not only are these materials easily combusted in a wildfire, but they leave behind a toxic soup that has polluted waterways and poisoned air quality.

The largest hemp project in the United States consisting of 12 duplex units in Newburyport, MA will open to residents next month. Builder David Hall and architect Keith Moskow of Hall and Moskow Corporation have been working since 2023 on the Hillside Center for Sustainable Living, an attainably-priced multi-family housing development, from their own design of hempcrete over steel frame panels. The new hempcrete development  will welcome its first residents on February 15.

Multiple US hemp-building companies will make a big splash for around 25,000 visitors at one of the largest US construction sustainability expos and conferences later this month in Philadelphia, thanks to collaboration and the generosity of a hemp processing company and a hemp-building non-profit.

US Army-funded researchers in Pennsylvania achieved a one-hour fire resistance rating for a spray-applied hemplime (“hempcrete”) wall test panel in early July, moving hempcrete closer to acceptance as a US building material.

Building with hemp-lime (“hempcrete”) is about to get a visibility boost in popular culture after international clothing giant Patagonia completed filming a new short film that shines the spotlight on the hempcrete home-building of the Lower Sioux in Morton, MN.

“Beyond my wildest dreams,” is how Cameron McIntosh described the fruits of his decision with his wife three years ago to license and distribute the French EREASY spray-applied hemp-lime application system. 

After years of efforts from USHBA volunteers and consultants, the governing body for national building codes in the United States released a residential building code that included hemp-lime (hempcrete) for the first time.

At least three historic hempcrete homes are being built in the United States this year with the support of instructors and other students enrolled in an online hemp building class series.

Builders, architects and homeowners will have new high-quality resource as HempBuild Mag and the Hemp Build Network roll out new interactive courses this fall through the new Hemp Build School Mastermind courses.

Hemp-lime insulation has passed US tests for thermal resistance (R-Value), performing the necessary testing required by the Federal Trade Commission to advertise the insulative value of a material.

We’d like to introduce you to three new hempcrete builds in Texas, Colorado and Michigan. All three projects began, or were completed, in 2022 and the builders/subcontractors are already starting new projects.