Implement Materials – hemp- and plantcrete
Hemp- and Plantcrete – material experiments
The use of hempcrete (hemp-lime) is a traditional material practice, where hemp shivs are mixed and cast with lime and water. The material possesses several advantageous properties, including thermal insulation, moisture regulation, and acoustic performance. Today, its most common application in the construction industry is primarily as insulation, built from uniform, prefabricated hemp-lime blocks that are concealed behind layers of, for example, clay or lime plaster.
Based on a bioregional material practice, the architectural potential of hemp and plant aggregates in cast constructions is explored. The investigations focus particularly on the aesthetic, craft-based, and technical potentials, where the material’s surface character, formability, and are utilised. The research process involves a range of material procedures, from harvesting the plant material in the field to processing it into building material and shaping it through casting.
In addition to hemp, the use of other plant materials that are agricultural by-products is explored. This includes stems from rapeseed, sunflower, and Jerusalem artichoke, as well as regionally available plant types such as flax and seagrass. The aim of the investigations is to expand the palette of plant-based materials which – in addition to making greater use of residual biomass and potentially contributing to increased biodiversity – offer variations in material-technical properties and aesthetic expressions.
Through rounded corners and profiling, the material’s formability is explored, creating light effects and reducing the porosity of corners. In this way, an aesthetic is articulated that emerges directly from the material. Through cast modules, a simplified construction system explores a layered composition of varying plant and lime content.
About Implement Materials:
Implement Materials is part of the Agenda Earth initiative, which puts words and images to the built environment and landscapes of the future and explores the legislative framework to make it possible. The initiative is run by the Danish Association of Architects and is continuously developed in collaboration with the Dreyers Fond and the Danish Bar and Law Society – and is supported by Dreyers Fond. Implement Materials is led by Sidsel Hodge, architect MAA and project consultant at the Danish Association of Architects.
