As Canada gears up to legalize the purchase and use of recreational marijuana, a Carleton alumnus is launching a project that looks at one of marijuana’s unexpected uses: sustainable housing.
Anthony Humble, who graduated from Carleton’s commerce program in 1973, recently partnered with the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism to create a research project that looks at a specific strain of non-psychotropic cannabis—marijuana incapable of affecting the mind, emotions or behaviour.
According to Humble, this specific cannabis crop, called “cannabis sativa”—has been used in oils, lotions, clothing, plastic, paper, and fuel for generations. But, the new research project is unique in its application since building a house with cannabis is something that has never been done before, he added.
“[This] is the result of a 20-year quest to find the perfect sustainable technology for communities,” he said.
Humble said that the idea for the project came to him when he was working on finding the right technology to build something that resembled wood and cement but was more environmental-friendly. He said that hemp is the perfect substance since its inner fibres are strong enough to be used as a tool for construction, and it can withstand varying temperatures.
“I had the idea of creating a hemp house, as well as the technology to complete it, but needed a building partner,” Humble said.
He explained that after looking at Jesse Bird’s recent win at a prestigious architecture competition, he knew Bird was the right person for the job.
Bird is an architecture graduate student at Carleton, and one of the leaders of the hemp house project. He said the idea felt “enlightening” from the start.
“It’s been great to open up different ideas on how the residential industry needs to be more environmentally-focused,” Bird said. “It’s refreshing to see such drive from someone like Anthony, pushing these new beginnings.”
The homes built as part of the project aim to create the smallest possible ecological footprint, Humble said.
While they are typically small in size, they are built with the least amount of resources, all of which are renewable. Builders are instructed to use alternatives to concrete such as recycled paper, plastic, and bamboo, in addition to the hemp.
Tori Lancaster, a second-year architecture student at Carleton who spent the past two summers working at an architecture firm, said this project is unique in the industry.
“You always see people going back to old habits of using more industrial materials, like artificial plastic and foam, and you know that’s going to end up in a landfill somewhere,” Lancaster said. “People don’t take advantage of the new technology and materials we are able to have, and I think this project is doing that.”
She added that she is excited about alumni-led projects coming to Carleton, since it builds a sense of community within the alma mater.
Humble said he believes this project can go further than just homes, by leading to sustainable communities. He added that if more communities continue to grow hemp, they could also harvest the seeds to support self-sufficiency in developing countries.
“By entirely replacing homes made of wood, we hope to significantly reduce the destruction of old-growth forests,” Humble said.
—With files from Temur Durrani
