This two-part virtual workshop explored hempcrete, a low-carbon building material that utilizes rapidly renewable hemp.
Part 1 began with a virtual presentation led by Henry Valles, an Austin-based, NAR Green Certified realtor and co-founder of the Hemp Industries Association, Texas Chapter, and the US Hemp Building Association. Valles spearheaded efforts to build a tiny hempcrete house at Community First! Village. During his presentation, Valles discussed the trajectory of hempcrete and its potential as a sustainable alternative to conventional construction methods in Central Texas.
Part 2 was a hands-on hempcrete casting workshop led by Materials Lab researcher Kevin Rivera Samuel. As a prelude, participants received a take-home kit that included hemp hurd, binder, formwork and tools. The workshop continued Valles’s discussion on hempcrete; its outcome was the fabrication of a sculptural hempcrete volume.