Big things come in small packages, according to GreenBuilt‘s Jim Savage. Last year, his concept of making buildings out of hempcrete was introduced to the public. Now, Green Built is working on creating the first-ever fossil-fuel-free, 400-square-foot home called HempHome: Tiny+.
Made solely out of hempcrete — a natural, non-toxic, renewable material made from hurds (the woody part of hemp plants), lime and water — this tiny home is designed to provide a high-quality, permanent housing solution, as well as temporary shelter. Twelve-inch-thick solid hempcrete walls make up this home and provide a mold-, pest-, and fire-resistant insulation. Hempcrete provides good insulation against the elements, and the homes will have green roofs and heat recovery ventilation, which helps maintain airflow, to regulate temperature. The house is built with a solar photovoltaic thermal system that provides the home with electricity, heat, and hot water.
HempHome: Tiny+ is designed by Green Built’s team, led by the award-winning architect Christina Griffin. Because of the materials used to make Tiny+, its creators say it will provide good indoor air quality, comfort, and resilience, making this first compatible HempHome to meet the energy efficiency standards of The Passive House Institute.
The $60,000 GreenBuilt is hoping to raise will go toward making the model home, as well as developing a prefab hemp-lime panel technology that is going to allow for quick construction of future HempHomes. Buyers will be allowed to customize their homes, meaning they could add a bedroom or create an office. “Once we are done building the house, we will be taking it across the country to promote it, and then will either sell it or donate it for someone to live in,” says the former Wall Street analyst and Columbia County resident to The New York Times. Since its Kickstarter launch this morning, the tiny house has raised a little over $2,000. One Tiny+ shed measuring 8 feet by 8 feet by 10 feet can be yours for a pledge of $5,000.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.
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