HEMP
In 2018 our team at Pensando en blanco got certified in the application of the HEMP technique, enriching its knowledge on the search, research, application and shaping of BIO-ARCHITECTURE materials and techniques, which opened possibilities to use this material in a great variety of large projects. We use this raw material in walls and enclosures applying the hand tamping technique to build big hemp panels over 28cm. thick with a combination of HEMP, binder, lime, water, and minerals. This technique improves the wall’s breathability, adds thermic regulation properties, and provides health and environmental benefits as it reduces the carbon footprint of the habitats and spaces we design. Being a fast-growing class of the plant of cannabis and because of its ability to capture carbon, HEMP is one of the most valued materials in ecologic construction.
At Pensando en blanco, we promote the use of HEMP as an ode to nature, as an act of environmental responsibility and as part of our fight for the people’s health and wellbeing. We use this material in a contemporary context, and it is a mark of our identity in our projects in which we always seek to reach balance between opposites establishing a dialogue between natural and organic raw materials such as HEMP, and high-quality finishes.
We have applied this building technique to surfaces of over 300m2 for housing, office space and store buildings of all sizes, including some from the world’s largest textile group. This asserts our team’s experience and its professional and technical knowledge of this technique’s construction and application. Also, we have a dedicated space to offer our clients the possibility to appreciate the properties of HEMP.
Properties of HEMP
• Great thermal and acoustic insulator.
• Its insulating properties allow for significant energetic efficiency and savings.
• Lightweight, fire-resistant, and highly breathable.
• Microbe and insect resistant.
• Capable of absorbing and synthesizing carbon and mitigating contamination through reduction of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere.
• Because its production destroys more CO2 than it generates, it is considered a carbon negative material.
• During the construction process, it reduces polluting emissions and guarantees a healthy environment inside the home.
• It absorbs humidity, which makes it mold resistant (1m2 of hemp wall absorbs up to
14 liters of water that is then released).
• Naturally non-toxic.
• Lasts for hundreds of years.
• After its vital cycle, it decomposes naturally or can be fully recycled.
