Expertly procured list of top ten construction companies building with hemp, on a global scale.
Businesses that don’t set out to build a product, but to solve a problem, are businesses the world needs.
One such overarching yet easily overlooked enigma is in the house you live in. No, not inside the house. But rather the house itself—what it is made of. Yes, I’m pointing the finger at concrete.
Concrete might be one of the strongest building materials, but the planet is paying the price for it. How, you might ask? One ton of cement, needed to bind concrete, releases one ton of carbon dioxide. Imagine how much carbon dioxide that is, for every concrete house ever built on Earth. I can tell you—it’s too much!
The solution? Hempcrete!
Hempcrete is a plant-based bio composite of hemp hurds and lime. It not only exposes you to any of the hazards concrete does, but rather benefits the planet since it is made from the magic crop hemp.
Companies working on hempcrete and hemp building materials are doing God’s work. They could use all the support they could get. From picking out the most sustainable materials to building your house to perfection, these hempcrete construction companies take care of everything. The “b” in these businesses stands for biodegradable.
Are you part of such a business? Do you support such businesses? Are you doing your part?
If not, here is a good place to start. I have prepared a comprehensive list of some of the top-notch hempcrete home builders and manufacturers around the globe. So let’s take a deep dive.
- Americhanvre
Americhanvre is a full-service hemp building material installer, based out of Pennsylvania. Their mission is to actively store carbon in the walls of your homes through the use of hemp building materials. More carbon in the walls equals less carbon dioxide in the air.
They hope to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of the construction process. For that, they rely on their green building materials and sustainable design.
Americhanvre’s hempcrete provides better technical performance as compared to traditional building materials. It also has considerable thermal, acoustic, and fire resistance properties.
Some of the key services Americhanvre offers are:
- Hempcrete services – Allrounder range of hemp construction services from basic project support and supply logistics, to full-service installation and management.
- Spray application – Uses a new technology for the application of hempcrete via the Baumer EREASY Spray system. Hempcrete is sprayed into and onto the walls of your home.
- Cast hemp – This hempcrete product is fortified for freeze-thaw resistance. It is one of Americhanvre’s flagship products. Serves as an eco-friendly planter and decor. They accept customized cast hemp projects.
- Building materials – Standard building grade hemp hurds and lime binder supplies for construction requirements.
Apart from standard services, Americhanvre also provides free consultation services, hosts workshops, and spends time on the road educating people about the wonders of hemp in the construction industry. This is the way they aim to move the industry forward.
As an eco-friendly business, they feel a sense of urgency to address the issues of climate change and the depletion of natural resources. That is the core problem their business model aims to solve. In supporting them, you too would be a part of this noble project.
- Hemp Building Company
Based in Longmont, Colorado, Hemp Building Company is an eco-friendly material supply, insulation, and contracting business. They started working with hempcrete in 2017.
Having developed cost-effective formulas and methods for hempcrete installation, they also experimented with all the primary methods of using hempcrete. Some examples are cast in place, spray application, and prefabricated blocks and panels.
After they insulate the buildings with hempcrete, they apply a hemp-lime plaster to create a permeable finish on the walls. They offer a varied range of hemp building materials. Hempcrete products, raw materials (hurd and fiber), and industrial hemp seed are among a few.
Hemp Building Company offers mainly three types of services. These are:
- Supply Chain Development – To build out the American supply chain for hemp products they bring the highest quality materials to builders at the lowest price point possible.
- Product Development – Their product development specialists can help you develop cannabinoid products and industrial use applications. This can be used to incorporate hemp into your existing or new products.
- Consultations – You can get farming, processing, or hempcrete consultations. This means help at every stage of your hemp business.
Hemp Building Company strictly deals with other businesses and builders. They only accept bulk orders. You can reach out to them via their website to get a quote.
- 8th Fire Innovations
As the builder of Alberta’s first hemp home and innovator behind the world’s first portable hempcrete house, 8th Fire Innovations is among my top picks on this list.
The founder’s backstory is particularly impressive. Dion is nationally and internationally recognized for his humanitarian efforts. He’s a provincial pioneer in building with natural materials with 7 years of experience in hempcrete construction and 11 years of expertise in hemp technology development. With Dion, you are in safe hands.
8th Fire is a hemp building technology leader in North America. They offer specialized consultation, contract services, and material access for the development of hemp building projects.
You can expect a diverse portfolio of natural products, and a large list of ethical suppliers to choose from. Here are some of the services from 8th Fire Innovations:
- Material supplies
- Precast building elements
- Extraction technology
- Hemp fiber management
- Hempcrete construction
- Value-added services
- Educational forums
- Presentations
- Workshops
8th Fire’s team will assist your personal, business, and corporate ventures. Their clients’ best interests are their top priority.
- UK Hempcrete
UK Hempcrete specializes in the use of hempcrete and other natural building materials. They promise a “better-than-zero-carbon” home.
The company is well-esteemed since it is directed by one of the UK’s leading advisers in the use of Hempcrete—Alex Sparrow. She is a powerhouse of expertise and knowledge. Alex regularly speaks at conferences and events, writes articles, and hosts training sessions. She is actively spreading awareness about a healthier building alternative.
UK Hempcrete experts are at your service whether your project is a new natural home or the repair of an existing building. This company even upgrades historic structures. But wait—it gets even more amazing. UK Hempcrete’s builds have been featured in numerous magazines and books!
They provide a complete range of services for homeowners, builders, and architects. Here’s what they can do for you:
- Hempcrete construction on both residential and commercial scales
- Consultancy in all stages of your project
- Specialist architectural design services
- Material supply for all sizes of projects
- In-depth hemp construction training courses
UK Hempcrete is helping reduce the carbon emission rate of the UK’s construction industry, which accounts for roughly 60% of the total emission. No doubt they are the UK’s most renowned hempcrete home builders.
- Hempitecture
Hempitecture is where the goodness of hemp and superior architecture come together. The result—healthy, energy-efficient habitats.
When they build your home only bio-based, natural building materials are used, that are designed to replace conventional, toxic materials. So you can feel good about what’s inside your home.
Their materials are sustainably grown and harvested. The end product is always optimized for maximum energy performance. Hempitecture believes in “build green, live green”. It is one of the most sustainable hempcrete construction companies out there.
With Hempitecture by your side, you can put together top-tier hemp-lime building systems. They have something to offer for everyone:
- Hempcrete installation (both cast in place and hemp blocks available)
- Professional-grade equipment for builders
- Expert contractor training program
- Contracting services
Based in Ketchum, Idaho, Hempitecture is a public-benefit corporation dedicated to a better tomorrow. Help them achieve that.
- ArtCan
ArtCan has been bringing the art of hemp to life for more than 20 years. It is a coming together of artisans and eco-entrepreneurs.
Gabriel Gauthier, the founder of ArtCan has pioneered hemp construction in North America. He has more than 20 years of expertise as a professional artisan and specialized contractor. Since he founded ArtCan he has only attained greater heights. ArtCan has completed over a hundred hemp and lime self-construction and renovation projects in Quebec and Ontario alone.
Houses built by ArtCan are ecological, durable, and uniquely finished. They help customers every step of the way, from conception and design to choice of materials and the construction process.
Apart from offering coaching and technical courses, ArtCan is an all-encompassing supplier of materials. Here’s a glimpse:
- Prefabricated elements like walls, bricks, and plasters
- Complementary materials for hemp insulation and finishing
- Specialized contractor resources
All hempcrete products are made of the Canalliance material famous for its beauty, durability, and comfort. It is a unique innovation by ArtCan.
Do sustainability with art. ArtCan is one of those hemp building companies that can spell magic in your living space.
- IsoHemp
IsoHemp was born in 2011 out of Olivier Beghin and Jean-Baptiste de Mahieu’s shared passion for the sustainable construction sector. They collaborated with other Belgian professionals specializing in hemp applications. Together, the two engineers designed a range of products composed of lime and hemp. The rest is history.
After years of trials and tribulations, IsoHemp is where it is today. It has thousands of new constructions and renovations under its belt. All the while, they stayed true to their three core development factors—short distances, natural raw materials, and an environmentally friendly factory. The plant is so sustainable that they create virtually no waste!
IsoHemp is chiefly a manufacturer of hempcrete blocks. They accomplish this one thing with perfection. More than one million hempcrete blocks are manufactured by the production plant per year. 2,000 pallets of stock ready at all times.
Apart from that, they offer other products and services like:
PRODUCTS
- Hempcrete
- PCS natural interior coating
- Complementary products
SERVICES
- Design tips and technical advice for your projects
- Practical training course
- Equipment rental
The company is located in the heart of Belgium, in the Namur region. But it is operating in 5 countries via a large distribution network, which speaks of its influence as a hempcrete company.
- Hemp Block USA
This is an American company headed by two accomplished Aussies. Johan Tijssen is the ex-director of Hempcrete Australia, while Glen Donoghoe has considerable experience in entrepreneurial management and the NGO sector. Together they worked to build Hemp Block USA.
With 30 years of experience in the construction industry, it became evident to Tijssen that the performance of building materials needed to improve. He felt it necessary to reduce the ongoing environmental impact by regulating temperature in a building and also to reduce the carbon toll for production. An innovation was long overdue.
Thus was built the United States of America’s first (and, so far, only) carbon-negative load-bearing hempcrete block by Hemp Block USA.
They didn’t just build an efficient and sustainable building technology. They built a greener future for America. Hemp Block USA is also the exclusive distributor of Biosys and Multichanvre blocks, rebranded as HempBLOCK in the USA, Australia, and New Zealand
Apart from the revolutionary HempBLOCK, they also offer an array of services like:
- Integrated architecture service (for developing both basic concepts and advancing existing plans)
- Engineering assistance and compliance
- Quotation, logistics, and technical support
Hemp Block USA believes hemp building is the only way to effectively reduce project time, environmental impact, building operation costs, and ongoing carbon emissions into the future. If you want the same, they are an expert authority you can trust.
- Just BioFiber
Founded in 2014, Just BioFiber had a vision of bringing a sustainable building system to market that would remarkably improve the quality of living. It aimed to do so with the help of hemp. With lower building costs, zero waste, and ease of construction, this would be made possible. Fast forward a few years—Just BioFiber is ready to take the international stage. How and why?
This company has earned quite the name in the construction industry for its one-of-a-kind innovation—Just BioFiber blocks.
These are interlocking structural blocks made from hemp. These blocks are a patented building system that outperforms virtually all existing and alternative building systems. They are made of industrial hemp fibers. Owing to the carbon negative properties of hemp, only 32 blocks can sequester 110-130 kg of carbon dioxide.
And what’s more? Just BioFiber blocks offer jaw-dropping benefits for your home. Indoor temperature stays consistent all year; your house becomes fire-resistant; it adds decades of longevity to your home. The company has numerous certifications to prove these claims.
Just BioFiber has taken hemp home construction to new heights. And I’m a dedicated admirer of their work.
- East Yorkshire Hemp
This is a family-based business that has been growing hemp since 2002. But their history dates way back. East Yorkshire Hemp’s story is worth knowing.
The six-acre farmland in Baswick Steer, Brandesburton, England was bought by Ken Vaose in 1943. Ken is the grandfather of Nick Voase, the founder. The farm had only one tree when they moved in. Now, 77 years later, it is the heart of a thriving hempcrete business that cultivates 500 acres of hemp each year.
They sell several hemp-based products. Among those, their sustainable building material initiative is the most notable.
In this endeavor, hemp fiber is made into ‘user-friendly’ recyclable loft insulation which does not contain harmful ingredients. They also use compressed hemp shiv to make fibreboard. But the most exciting development by far, is Hempcrete, a construction material.
East Yorkshire Hemp works on both small and large-scale projects. So contact them today and let the Voase family build a green home for you and yours.
A Greener House Is Waiting For You
Hopefully, I have been able to clear all your doubts and misgivings about hempcrete companies and what they can do for you. Now that you know the wonders of hemp building, you can’t go back. So say goodbye to old, energy-consuming houses. A greener future awaits you.
Sources:
https://www.azobuild.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=8335
https://internationalhempbuilding.org/company-members-list/
https://www.hempbuildingco.com/
https://www.8thfireinnovations.com/
https://maisonenchanvre.com/en/home/
https://eastyorkshirehemp.co.uk/
