Hempcrete on Exmoor

After a successful experience with Hemp-lime Construct, I joined them again to work on this beautiful new-build on the highest point on Exmoor. In November. Following a disastrous first experience with a fraudulent hemp-crete supplier, this homeowner bravely decided to risk hempcrete for a second time but this time with us. The old mud-lime mix had been removed by the time we arrived, oak lathes replaced or repaired and we were set. The building has silver shimmering chestnut shingles on the roof, copper guttering and a red dry stone retaining wall in the garden. A straw bale garage had been build as well and this became our go-to place when the cold outside became too bitter for our fingers. It was a lovely space and the incredible views far outweighed the downsides of working in the winter, even after mice ate my crumpets. 

We received this email from the homeowner a few weeks later;

"Hello All

Hoping you had a good time at Christmas and didn't suffer too much from the storms. 

Dunmoor survived very well  - and no water in through the roof! The winds came from the south west. We'll have see what happens if we have rain driven from another direction.

Since you left the doors have been replaced, the sills have been set in ready for the windows whose frames are now painted and the ceilings are lathed ready for plastering. I've bought a moisture meter.

So we're ready to go and all feeling very positive about the new year.

Thanks for your incredible hard work and your good cheer - and of course the beautiful job."

Hemp-lime Restoration of a Tudor House, Oxford

This grade2 listed Tudor house was destroyed by fire. Working with Hemp-Lime Construct I was a part of the team involved in the restoration work. Hempcrete or hemplime (same thing, different names) is close enough to the original materials in the building that we were approved to use it by English Heritage. It had taken Pat 2 years of living in a caravan and washing in a bucket in the shadow of her burnt out home to get permissions and insurance together to fund the restoration. By the time we were finished, the wood burner was lit, the rooms were warming up and she was almost ready to begin decorating. Hemp-Lime Construct went back to lime render inside and out once the hempcrete had time to cure and she was thrilled with the results.

Last Day with Het Leemniscaat

Last day at Het Leemniscaat. Happy clients, tired team, ENORMOUS (beautifully rendered) house

Rammed Earth Holland Park Eco Centre

One of my first construction jobs was on this project in central London. I was part of a team of 5 involved in the creation of a rammed earth external wall of the new Eco Centre in Holland Park. Rowland Keeble of Rammed Earth Consulting headed up the project but the construction was undertaken by Jason Hawkes, Dhanya Prem, Ben Rogers, Llewellen Jones and myself. 

Holland Park Eco Centre: 'Built over 10 days in the grips of sub zero temperatures the materials were brought in prepared to the site in bulk bags. The team had to batch load into a mixer with water to get the moisture content right, then bucket and barrow to the formwork. The material was a grey brick clay mixed with 'twenty to dust', a red crushed limestone. We had to make the decision over how much equipment to use and how much labour, it's not a very big job but still 50 tonnes. The site was also not that big and the cost of a front end loader and driver with a ticket to drive it all had to be taken into consideration. Rammed earth can lend itself to many situations but these questions of what materials, what labour, what equipment and what plant need thinking through each time. In central London labour is expensive, but highly flexible, in a more rural site labour may be cheaper but can it compete with a digger and driver?'

That's me (top left)