A Hillingdon family are living in a house made of hemp after designing the eco friendly building with the council.
The home, in Mulberry Crescent, has been designed and built to be suitable for a resident with disabilities and to help the environment.
The building was constructed using Hemcrete, a blend of a lime based binder and hemp, which absorbs CO2. It also has solar panels to heat water and extensive insulation, which means it emits 100 per cent less CO2 emissions than a standard building and has attained five stars under the Code of Sustainable Homes.
Father of four, Mr Sharif Omar, 37, now lives in the house with his 79-year-old disabled father.
He said: “We worked with Hillingdon Council to make the access better for my father and he can access the garden and other rooms now. The house really is brilliant. It’s very big and has changed my life – my whole family is very happy here.”
The project is part of a Hillingdon Council programme that aims to redevelop derelict and underused spaces on housing estates in the area. Areas that have been targeted by vandals and anti-social behaviour are redeveloped into affordable housing. So far, 47 new council homes have been built, including several bespoke bungalows for residents with disabilities.
Cllr Philip Corthorne, cabinet member for social care health and housing, said: “This development represents a new era for social housing. Not only does it use cutting edge materials and processes to create an environmentally friendly property, it also looks at the specific needs of the resident – something that will ultimately empower them to live as independently as possible.”