Upcoming Symposium To Demonstrate Highly Sustainable Hemp and Lime Biocomposite Building Material

American Lime Technology and Olde World Exteriors are pleased to announce their upcoming architectural symposium on environmentally-friendly hemp and lime biocomposite building materials. This event, titled "Designing with Hemp and Lime Biocomposite," will take place on November 12, 2008 in Montgomery, Texas and will feature world-recognized experts and practitioners in the field of sustainable design and construction.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) October 8, 2008 -- American Lime Technology and Olde World Exteriors are pleased to announce their upcoming architectural symposium on environmentally-friendly hemp and lime biocomposite building materials. This event, titled "Designing with Hemp and Lime Biocomposite," will take place on November 12, 2008 in Montgomery, Texas and will feature world-recognized experts and practitioners in the field of sustainable design and construction. Presenters will include Ian Pritchett, Managing Director of UK-based Lime Technology, Ltd.; Jeremy Blake, Principal in the UK-based architecture firm Purcell Miller Tritton; and Bruce King, author and structural engineer, among others. There will also be onsite demonstrations of hemp and lime construction techniques, and attendees will enjoy a tour of the Hopewell Project, including the Pottery Studio and Chapel, which is the first Tradical® Hemcrete® building project constructed in the United States. The event will also feature exhibitions by American Clay, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based company;and the Environmental Science program at John Cooper School, in The Woodlands, Texas.

While new to the American market, Hemcrete® has been used successfully in the United Kingdom and Europe for over ten years. This system, which relies on sustainably produced hemp shiv and lime binder, is being used to construct walls and to insulate floors and roofs, making it a low impact, sustainable and commercially viable construction method. The resulting buildings are thermally efficient, attractive, pest-resistant, fire-resistant, and durable, and these nontoxic, all-natural materials contain no harmful chemicals. Unlike typical new construction materials, hemp and lime are breathable, which discourages harmful mold growth while providing better air quality for the building's occupants. Hemcrete® is also completely recyclable and can be converted to fertilizer at the end of a building's lifespan.

Designing with Hemp and Lime Biocomposite

Hemcrete® is particularly notable for its carbon-capturing properties. Hemcrete® mitigates the damaging effects of greenhouse gases by sequestering approximately seven pounds of carbon dioxide per cubic foot of wall area. Hemp, which requires little irrigation or fertilization, consumes carbon dioxide during its growing cycle, and the lime based binder captures carbon dioxide during its curing cycle. As a result, in a typical application the material sequesters more greenhouse gas than is produced during the manufacture and transportation of the material.

This event will be of particular interest to architects and specifiers who are involved in sustainable design and construction. For more information and to register, please visit www.americanlimetec.com or call Bruce Petersen at 773-414-5486.

This event will be followed by an open house on November 13, 2008, at Olde World Exterior showroom, in The Woodlands, TX. The openhouse will feature hands-on demonstrations of a range of sustainable material, including Hemcrete®, lime stucco, and limewash.

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