Projects

Client: Hab Oakus
Project:The Triangle
Location:Swindon, Wiltshire
Architect:Glenn Howells Architects
Product:Tradical® Hemcrete®
Completion:2011

The Triangle

The pioneering new low energy housing development in Swindon, The Triangle, that featured on Chanel 4’s Kevin’s Grand Design was constructed using Lime Technology’s innovative Tradical® Hemcrete®

The series follows broadcaster and designer Kevin McCloud as he sets out to prove that it is possible to create beautiful, contemporary and sustainable homes that are also affordable.

Valuable lessons have been learnt from the project which experienced the worst conditions for more than 100 years and caused the Tradical® Hemcrete® to dry more slowly than normal.

Lime Technology’s Ian Pritchett explains that following the project the company launched  Hembuild®, an offsite panelised walling system using closed panel timber cassettes filled with  Hemcrete® and natural fibre insulation. In these panels the Hemcrete® is dried before it leaves the factory to allow construction all year round.

He added: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to get involved in this project, not least because it gave us the chance to show that natural materials like Tradical® Hemcrete® can deliver mainstream projects”.

Tradical® Hemcrete®, is a mixture of hemp and a lime binder, which together create a material that combines sustainability with performance. A highly thermally efficient material, Tradical® Hemcrete® locks up CO2 and when used with lime based renders and plasters, creates a breathable walling system for healthy living.

Research work with The BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials (at Bath University) has recently shown that Hemcrete® performs even better than previously thought with a unique combination of thermal insulation and inertia to create buildings with very stable temperatures.