Project overview: The Cape Cod Hemp House is situated in quaint Harwich Port, surrounded by quintessential Cape-style cottages with simple gabled roofs and shingle cladding. The resemblance to its neighbors is only skin deep. Behind the shingles, the house demonstrates a future free of petroleum-based fuels and materials.
The house is configured in two parallel gables. The southern wing contains the main bedrooms, each having views of Nantucket Sound. Open living on the first floor extends to an outdoor deck with arbor. A seasonal sunshade limits summer heat gain but allows plenty of winter light and passive heating. On the northern wing, the guest suite and workout room have smaller openings for privacy, and to limit energy loss. The two south-facing rooftops enable enough photovoltaic area to supply projected electrical needs.
A variety of materials were used to create a durable, low-carbon, high-performance coastal home without petroleum foams. Recycled glass aero-aggregate was substituted for sub-slab foam. Foams in the walls and roof were replaced by a mix of hemp hurds, lime binder, and water, with lime plaster applied on the interior. The hemplime sequesters over 21,000 kg of CO₂ emissions and eliminates the need for plywood, drywall, and building wrap. Alongside low-cement concrete and other measures, the total embodied carbon was reduced to 50% of a conventionally built equal.
Project location: Harwich Port, Massachusetts
Firm name: Estes Twombly + Titrington Architects, Inc.
Architect of Record: Estes Twombly + Titrington Architects, Inc.
Completion: 2022
Jury comments: The clear diagram of the building, consisting of two bars, appears in both the massing and plan. As desired by the owners, the building presents an unassuming presence on the exterior, while still pushing the boundaries on environmental goals within the space.
Images/Photographer(s): Michael J. Lee General Contractor: C.H. Newton Builders Inc. Civil Engineer: Ryder & Wilcox Structural: Structures Workshop Mechanical: ZeroEnergy Design Acoustics: Cavanaugh Tocci Associates Audio Visual: Technology Planning Interiors: Martha’s Vineyard Interior Design Landscaping: Kimberly Mercurio Landscape Architect Lighting: Light Insight Design Studio Hemplime Consulting: AKTA-BVP Hemplime Consulting: Kiko Thebaud
