Having fallen under the spell of an 18th-century barn in the village of Balâtre, they decided to embark on a major renovation project.
Hemp blocks seemed the ideal material.
She works in a family marble business. He is an architect specialising in the restoration of listed buildings. At the end of 2021, Isabelle and Pascal decided to leave the city and move to the countryside.
Their barn (over 16 metres high and with a gross floor area of 540 m2) will be transformed into 4 housing units and 4 single-family homes around a vast multi-purpose and communal space.
They share a common love for the authentic charm of the traditional, for noble and natural materials, and for the skills of craftsmen. This is the spirit in which they conceived their entire project. The very first step in renovating the barn was to "create a box within the box" with an internal insulation solution (essential to preserve the beauty of the exterior walls) that was as natural and sustainable as possible. It was at the Bois & Habitat trade fair that they discovered hemp, offered in the form of an insulating block by the Belgian company IsoHemp.
Isabelle : "We were immediately won over by this material. It tells a different story to petrochemical insulation materials. It's consistent with our approach to minimise our carbon footprint.”
During their discussions with the experts at IsoHemp, Isabelle and Pascal were impressed by the versatile properties of hemp blocks. Thermal insulation, but also acoustic insulation and a breathable material. "Knowing that hemp helps to regulate humidity levels for a healthy indoor climate was a relevant advantage for us. We certainly didn't want a thermos-like house !"
In the spring of 2023, the building work began. Pascal: "IsoHemp provided us with all the technical support and guidance to get started. I have to say that I was surprised by how easy it was to install the hemp insulating blocks. It's a first for me as an architect. We want to experiment with hemp and see what it can do for the home and its comfort."
In 15 days, the mason erected and assembled the 822 hemp blocks (36 cm thick) over a surface area of 148 m2 of walls. The old walls were plumb again. And to get the full benefit of the material, Isabelle and Pascal decided to leave the hemp blocks exposed. No rendering, no clay or lime coating, and a 100% raw finish!
Since the beginning of summer 2023, Isabelle and Pascal have been living in their newly renovated space on a daily basis: "The acoustic comfort of hemp is really very pleasant, while the surface area and ceiling height are out of the ordinary. We also appreciate the quality of the indoor climate." The underfloor heating system will soon be installed, and the wood-burning stove will soon be lit...
We'll have to wait until the end of the first winter to assess the thermal insulation properties of hemp. In a few months' time, as the work progresses, Isabelle and Pascal will be moving to another part of the barn. As for their current living space, it will be made available for group events. To be continued in a future blog?
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