Japanese roof logic

Traditional framing and building practices, using wood, stone, straw, clay.
AntoineLaMothe
Raw Log Import
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2014 8:44 am

Re: Japanese roof logic

Tue Jul 21, 2015 7:11 am

We're right in the middle of it right now. 3 out of 6 days, 8 people full time. Everything is going ok, it's a tough job, more that I expected, but the walls are going up fast enough. And we're under thunderstorms everyday!

Hempcrete is a very anti-intuitive technique for me, but that does not mean it's not fun to do or not efficient. It's just plain weird...

Pictures will come in 4 days.
jamie shard
Raw Log Import
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 8:58 am

Re: Japanese roof logic

Sun Sep 20, 2015 5:40 pm

I'm curious how this went. Any update?
AntoineLaMothe
Raw Log Import
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2014 8:44 am

Re: Japanese roof logic

Mon Sep 21, 2015 9:30 am

Well, hempcrete has been curing for a couple of months now. It feels solid. We will be applying the lime finish in the next weeks. As you can see, the building looks dull right now, mainly because of the lack of finnishing everywhere, but it will always stay kinda flat: it's a forge, so only a few small windows are needed. Custom wooden windows and doors are being made by a local woodworker, that will surely help a lot, we'll see.
11823057_10153006978737536_3402143803873326567_o.jpg
11823057_10153006978737536_3402143803873326567_o.jpg (91.84 KiB) Viewed 5394 times
We learned a couple of important things during the process and they are mistakes I will be able to avoid for my own house :)

For example, the posts are 6x8 (we used what we found), and we placed them so that an 8 inch side was visible from the inside. We poured the hempcrete flush with the surface of the post. It feels ok to the eye, not unpleasant, but it can look like the post is a decorative plank. The plywood that we used to do the formwork rested on the surface of the post so all the post got dirty from wet lime. We were able to wash it with a vinegar solution, but still, that was all handplaned... Trying to get 6-7 rotating free helpers to be very careful for the wooden frame is nearly impossible, especially when you're in a big rush. We should have taken more time, in my opinion, and we should have protected the post with sheets or something like that.

If we offset the timber frame inside of half an inch or something like that, I think we'll get a greater sence of the nice weight and identity of the structure, and the plywood could be placed on the side of the post, resulting in a lot less damage.

The project is very well documented, and there will be an official inauguration, so I can't share more pictures before they are all released on that day.

Hempcrete is a lot of work, and we still have to buy the hemp curds in Europe to get the right quality. It's not ideal in that way, but it can change if hemp industrials make the proper investments.

Winter will be coming fast so I'll write an update concerning comfort and efficiency.
jamie shard
Raw Log Import
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 8:58 am

Re: Japanese roof logic

Mon Sep 21, 2015 8:03 pm

The material has a nice organic/earthy look to it. Thanks for the pic!

Looking forward to the official announcement!

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