Building
With Hemp €35.00
Steve Allin, Anthony Cohu (Contributor)
With the move towards construction
techniques that satisfy the energy conservation requirements
of both their manufacture and use, many different systems
are being promoted to produce what might be described as an
`eco home`. Of these the hemp system has the widest variety
of applications from the housing estate to the 'one off' individual
dwelling or structure.
As this is the first book on the subject,
the reader is introduced to the material; its history and
production, and the ways in which it can be used in the construction
or renovation of ones home. With 295 colour photographs and
56 illustrations and diagrams, the book is as equally of interest
to the home owner, architect or interior designer, as it is
to the self-builder or ecological activist.
Written in a straight forward manner but
referring to expert reports and data, the facts and figures
for the performance of the 'hempcrete' material are given
together with knowledge gained by the author during his nine
years of using the stuff himself. Methods developed by builders
and architects in France are described and illustrated, as
are examples from Ireland, Great Britain and Switzerland.
The forward written by architect Anthony
Cohu RIBA, a past president of the Cork Environmental Form
in Ireland, introduces us to the basic aims of the ecological
building world. The author then takes us through the subject
step by step beginning with the hemp plant; its history, agriculture
and processing, he then explains how the concept of mixing
the hemp-wood (hurds) with lime was conceived of and how it
developed into the material now known of as hempcrete. With
its light-weight and insulating, but also heat storing qualities,
this hempcrete is shown to be the novel answer to many of
the requirements of those who wish to create a new healthier
way to construct a home.
The basic alternative ways of designing
a hemp house by combining timber frames and hempcrete are
explained and illustrated with diagrams by the author, as
are other systems using blocks or hemp clay mixes.
Throughout the book the author presents
the information, whether gained from experience or drawn from
scientific tests, in a way to be easily understood by the
layperson as well as those more expert, with a combination
of pictures, diagrams and text.
Lime, as the building material used in
the mixture, is also discussed and compared to Portland cement
and gypsum as regards to its' origins, manufacture and ecological
qualities and for its' suitability for combining with hemp.
Interior designers will get inspiration
from the unique shots of hemp rooms in the chapters on hemp
plaster and finishes. Self-builders or those of a `have a
go` tendency will get help from the 'How to' section in the
rear of the book.
Colour photography is a feature of the
book, as is the clean layout and high quality binding, there
are many full-page pictures of the interiors and exteriors
of hemp buildings, or buildings that have utilised hemp materials
in some way.
Steve Allin sums up this introduction
to Building with Hemp by outlining some of the issues concerning
hemp, its production and viability and the certifying of this
new building system so it can become more easily available
for everyone.
A stylish, informative and inspiring addition
to any bookshelf.
191pp 2006 238x250
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