Some exciting news from Verge grad Christina Goodvin (Check out her profile HERE)—She was just selected as a finalist in the Permaculture Institute of North America’s (PINA) 2019 design contest, which carries a grand prize of $5,000.
We’re super proud of Christina—she’s the only Canadian finalist and hers was the only hemp-based design. In her proposal, Christina explains why she chose hemp for her building material of choice:
Alberta is an ideal growing zone for industrial hemp, specifically those fibre varieties that like the longer solar days and short growing seasons. Hemp shines as a robust food and fibre source, but also as a building component, as hempcrete. Over the last year I have applied my building envelope experience and engineering background to learning this material and to use it as a vapour-permeable thermal mass in northern climate solar greenhouses and tiny homes.”
Christina’s design includes two main structures:
The first structure is a 200 square-foot dome building, utilizing aircrete technology with hemp fibre reinforcement. The dome will be positioned and built to act as a storm shelter, crop processing area, and extra lodgings. Aircrete is a type of on-site structural material that is easy to make and build with. Aircrete dome houses would also make excellent emergency response shelters in any climate.
The second structure is a northern three-season solar greenhouse, 192 square feet, made with hempcrete infill. The greenhouse is sized and designed for our high insolation levels, with glazing angles set to maximize shoulder season growing. The infill thermal mass is hempcrete, with inputs/exchange with solar earth tubes to extend overnight shoulder season temperatures. The greenhouse can function as a winter animal shelter and bee house. It is also scalable, able to extend in length (rubble trench foundation).”
In addition, the structures will utilize as much recovered/donated materials and on-site materials as possible. Christina’s ultimate goal is for these buildings to become models the community can utilize as part of a living demonstration site.
Christina needs your help! To win the grand prize, she’ll need votes from PDC holders who are also PINA members. The deadline is March 31, so vote (or join PINA so that you can) and spread the word. We’d love to see Christina take the prize and help boost the profile of Canadian permaculture while building buzz for hemp as a sustainable construction material.
Here are the details on how to vote. Good luck, Christina!
Vote for Hemp! For Canada! For Permaculture!
Interested in our Permaculture Design Courses? Learn more here.
