Where tradition becomes innovation

What is simple yet ingenious about hemp blocks is the combination of the organic insulating material hemp shiv with the mineral binder natural lime.
Hemp shiv is the name given to the woody parts of the plant stem that are left over as waste when hemp fibre is extracted (for textiles, for example). Like natural lime, this shiv has a porous basic structure that is ideally suited to building with natural building materials: for an excellent thermal insulation value and for absorbing and releasing moisture.

The fourth ingredient: time. Once the hemp shives have been mixed with natural limes and minerals, with the addition of water, and pressed into shape in a block-making machine, they are air-dried. Depending on the thickness of the block, drying in the open air takes approx. 1 month. After that, the block can be laid.