2022 has seen the world experience record-breaking heat. Once temperate regions now face new challenges to their built environment. Indoors no longer guarantee cool safety from the summer sun. IS THERE ANY RELIEF?

Ein Hod

Just beyond Mount Carmel, Israel’s largest national park is the village of Ein Hod. An idyllic spot by the Mediterranean, Ein Hod makes for a beautiful home. But comfort is impeded by high year-round temperatures. Luckily a passionate group of architects, Tav Group, have prioritised this problem. For these architects, ecological construction is the future. Moav Alon, a founding member, says green building is imperative for reminding us of our reciprocal relationship with nature. 

Hemp Haven

Moav and colleagues chose to design a cooling hemp-based home. Tav Group’s expertise in sustainability also bolsters hemp among green materials. 

The house perfectly blends with its sand-coloured backdrop. Hempcrete and timber combined with local rock create this effect whilst cooling the place far better than modern construction. This is a blessing for the residents, as Ein Hod often experiences 30-plus degrees Celsius in the summer. The house also captures carbon emissions. Is this successful balance of comfort and sustainability a future model for homes in cooler lands?

Ein Hod House in Action

• Dense rock walls act like cave walls, blocking too much heat from reaching inner chambers.
• Hempcrete has a high thermal capacity, but low conductivity
  • I.e., holds lots of heat but releases it slowly 
• Hempcrete stabilises indoor humidity 
  • If indoor humidity is more elevated than dry outdoor humidity, this adds to decreased indoor heat

Repeating the Process

Ein Hod shows a hemp home at its most effective in a hot climate. Perhaps this is the design route regions of mounting heat should consider. Ultimately, this design could prove more effective in historically cooler areas. For hemp homes’ their ability to regulate temperatures makes them a year-round success. Making hemp cooler than ever! It is cooling in summer and retains heat in winter. In both cases, it cuts energy bills and needs less water and electricity.

Sources

The Potential of Hemp Buildings In Different Climates

Dezeen – Tav Group House in Ein Hod 

Eco-Architects Tav Group on Ugliness and Green Architecture

Material District Article – Eco-Friendly House Made Of Hempcrete Instead Of Concrete

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132321007745?casa_tok

Hempcrete building performance in mild and cold climates: Integrated analysis of carbon footprint, energy, and indoor thermal and moisture buffering

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