Tiny Homes Built from Hemp Sheets

A social nonprofit organization called Common Knowledge, based in Ireland, has teamed up with the UK hemp farm Margent Farm to create tiny homes made from hemp. Each structure, collectively known as Tigín Tiny Homes, was designed as an affordable housing option in response to rising rent and mortgage costs.

The homes, measuring 20 square meters (about 215 square feet), are surprisingly spacious: the bedroom fits a king-size bed, the kitchen is fully equipped, and the bathroom includes a shower and a composting toilet.

On the outside, the house is completely clad in engraved panels made from hemp fiber. These panels are a natural alternative to corrugated steel, bitumen, and cement. In addition to hemp fiber, the panels contain resin made from bio-waste, which mainly consists of corn cobs, oat husks, and sugarcane waste.

Producing one square meter of hemp fiber panel requires 5.7 times less energy than aluminum, 2.6 times less than bitumen, and 1.5 times less than galvanized steel.

The cost of these homes is about €58,000.