Noel built a second suite onto his existing house, creating a duplex. The walls of the addition are made of hempcrete, a remarkable natural building material. It’s a mixture of hemp fibers and lime, with a little water to make it workable. Pounded into forms, it makes a solid wall with a warm, earthy look. It can also be finished with smooth lime plaster.

Hemp is a  fast-growing plant that is easy to grow without pesticides. Its fibers are used to make everything from the rope, to clothing, and now walls. Hempcrete is made using ‘hemp chips’, which come from the core of the hemp plant and are a byproduct of the hemp fiber industry. Hemp hits all the high points of sustainability. It’s a renewable natural material that takes little energy to produce. It’s so earth-friendly that if the building is ever demolished, it can just be ground up and spread on a field for fertilizer.