HempBuild Magazine: “Your GreenBuilt Revolution

Hempcrete builders in Minnesota are taking a leadership role in the newly launched Minnesota Efficient Builders Coalition (MEBC), which will advance efficient, high-performance, and low-carbon residential construction.

INTERVIEW: Miles Gathright is co-founder of Boardwurks Biocomposites, a Florida-based innovator developing carbon-smart construction panels made from hemp hurd and recycled composites.

The Swiss construction company Openly introduced last month a new class of CO₂ certificates monetizing the carbon dioxide permanently sequestered in buildings constructed with biogenic materials like hempcrete and timber. The launch follows a year of development, founders said.

At this year’s Greenbuild Conference and Expo, held Nov. 4–7 in Los Angeles, bio-based building materials took the spotlight — both on the show floor and in one of the conference’s most crowded sessions.

One of the biggest motivations in using hemp and lime as a construction material was our interest in building “net zero” or “carbon-negative” or “climate-positive” or “carbon-neutral”– there are a lot of different terms being used, ultimately, it is about achieving a balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere, and the carbon removed from it.

A plan from Texas A&M University researchers to 3D print new resilient buildings using hempcrete has the potential to lower the environmental impact of traditional construction methods and make housing more affordable and available.

This article will focus on construction time, practical challenges, reliability and building sciences, between the two options.

Have you ever put a horse to bed? Did you know that horses sleep lying down?

Think about how much you love to put your head on your favorite, soft pillow…well, your horse feels the same way about its bedding. Horses and humans all know the value of a good night’s sleep.