First spec hemp house in U.S. to be built in West Asheville; cost is $325,000 for 1,560 square feet of green built house

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Press release from loyal reader Justin:

Hemp homes are not just for the custom home buyer anymore.  First “spec” hemp home in the United States to be built in West Asheville.

Push Design and Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty are teaming to launch the first “spec” hemp house in the nation, right here in West Asheville.  

Known as the Rich Street Hemp Home, the building’s exterior walls will be made from a hemp/ lime mixture called Tradical Hemcrete®, which is a high energy performance, healthy wall system that is estimated to last for hundreds of years.   

“Lime is one of the best building materials in the world.  It is plentiful, it is non-toxic, and it lets moisture transfer through it, which eliminates the potential for mold and rot,” says Andrew Brenner, founding partner and lead designer of Push Design.  Because lime is caustic, the wall itself acts as an air filter, and because lime is naturally resistant to rot and moisture problems, buildings made from it last for a very long time, which is why most of the oldest buildings on earth are made from lime.  However, lime does not insulate very well.  By mixing the interior woody stalk of the hemp plant into a lime slurry, a hemp/lime concrete is formed that has the benefits of building with lime, but which is also insulated.  Tradical Hemcrete®also soaks up the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into its walls and traps it, preventing it from warming the atmosphere. 

This is a high performance building system that provides a major reduction in energy costs and other saving verses traditional construction.  The first home that Push Design engineered with Tradical Hemcrete® was built on Town Mountain Road, at an elevation of 3550 feet, in 2010. This home is 3,400 sq ft home, and in the past six months, the owners have not had an energy bill higher than $72. The homeowners also saw a 60% reduction in their home insurance due to the higher fire rating of Tradical Hemcrete®. 

“We are excited to be the first real estate company in the country to be able to offer a hemp home for sale,” said Mike Figura, owner of Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty. “This home will be HealthyBuilt Certified, and the cost of this home is $325,000 for 1,560 square feet, which is on par with other high-end green built homes in West Asheville.  However, taking the energy performance, health benefits, and longevity of this home into consideration, the true costs, or “lifecycle costs” of this home are unparalleled.”

For more information, contact:

Sales and Marketing: Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty, Justin Mitchell or Mike Figura: (828) 707-9556

Design and Construction: Push Design: Anthony Brenner at 828.275.4108, www.pushahead.com

 

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

3 Comments

  1. Chris July 11, 2013

    So, did they finish it?

    Reply

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