{"id":50878,"date":"2024-09-04T08:15:25","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T07:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=50878"},"modified":"2024-09-04T08:15:25","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T07:15:25","slug":"how-sustainable-building-materials-contribute-to-a-green-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/how-sustainable-building-materials-contribute-to-a-green-future\/50878\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovating climate-positive housing for a sustainable future"},"content":{"rendered":"
Buildings and infrastructure are responsible for 40% of global carbon emissions \u2013 a staggering number deserving of more attention. Three-quarters of building and infrastructure emissions stem from energy consumption during operation, and the remaining 25% is attributed to embodied carbon from manufacturing, mining, and construction processes. Achieving green building materials and implementing circularity across supply chains<\/a> is crucial if we are to mitigate climate change effectively and conserve resources.<\/p>\n Biomaterials are the only way to achieve this, offering a resilient, sustainable, and even climate-positive alternative to traditional materials. Hemp, in particular, holds a wealth of potential. It takes only four months to grow to 12ft and sequesters 9-15 tonnes of CO2<\/sub> a year per hectare. Recognising the potential of hemp and other sustainable materials, such as fast-growing timber forests, HEMSPAN\u00ae has quickly emerged as the leading force in demonstrating how sustainable building practices can be effectively implemented, aiming to address 40% of this problem entirely.<\/p>\n The benefits of natural materials are multilayered, from reducing embodied carbon and toxic chemicals to providing health and well-being benefits for occupants. Using natural materials promotes healthier living and better air quality. They significantly reduce harmful volatile organic compounds, which can be cancer-causing, and create a more peaceful acoustic environment that is more enjoyable to live in.<\/p>\n Sustainable buildings are resilient and perform better in extreme weather conditions. Utilising higher-performing fabric and integrated systems will help maintain comfortable living environments within homes and public buildings while minimising energy usage for temperature control.<\/p>\n In addition, sustainable building<\/a> considers density and biodiversity in its design. HEMSPAN\u00ae believes in designing houses to include open spaces and natural areas, supporting the biodiversity of the development and enhancing the natural environment. This is crucial, as traditional farmland lacks biodiversity due to constant ploughing, resulting in a lack of life.<\/p>\n HEMSPAN\u00ae plans to source biomass from local farms located within an hour\u2019s drive of our production facility, benefitting the local farming economy. Hemp offers benefits such as weed suppression and improved soil health, resulting in higher yields for traditional farming rotations. Crucially, this circular system will enhance, not displace, crop production, with hemp serving as an ideal and profitable rotation crop that boosts the production of food crops for years to come.<\/p>\n Matthew Belcher has been involved in the clean technology space for six years, focusing on natural composites in various industries like automotive, marine, aircraft, and buildings. He was introduced to the potential for hemp through his work in composite and bio-composite buildings, examining the product possibilities for hemp in construction and the leisure industry.<\/p>\n Combining climate-positive buildings with leisure environments was a catalyst for realising the wide market and potential for climate-positive solutions across various sectors. This led to the launch of HEMSPAN\u00ae, assembling a team of experienced business operators and industry partners to develop sophisticated systems for delivering climate-positive buildings. Our goal is to address reliability and viability challenges in the housing and building industry at every stage.<\/p>\n The vision is to seed and grow climate-positive communities globally. While an ambitious task, HEMSPAN\u00ae is three years into its journey with some incredible projects alive and under contract. With attention from the UK and global markets, it won\u2019t be long before HEMSPAN\u00ae\u2019s materials and technologies achieve a large-scale impact.<\/p>\n The ultimate goal is to make all buildings self-powering. A sustainable built environment uses bio-based feedstocks to create building materials or components for systems that can be deployed on a large scale. At HEMSPAN\u00ae, the core focus is on utilising hemp and structural timber to deliver fabrics that minimise energy consumption in buildings. Once the fabric is optimised, technologies such as solar, wind, air source, and ground source energy systems can be explored to provide heating, lighting, and power for buildings.<\/p>\n Using this approach eliminates all waste, as materials are recycled not only throughout their lifespan but also within the factory setting. Any leftover materials and trim are recycled back into the initial production process. This means that as the houses are completed and leave the factory, there is no waste.<\/p>\nA wealth of benefits
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe foundation of HEMSPAN\u00ae
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\nBIOHAUS\u00ae: Incorporating circularity into infrastructure
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