Blog
High Bar Lane: Building the Next Generation of Climate-Positive Home
Discover High Bar Lane, a climate-positive BIOHAUS® development by HEMSPAN®, delivering low-carbon, energy-efficient homes built for the future.
HEMSPAN®
Growing the buildings of the future
Bio-based Construction
Bio-based Construction
Technologies
HEMSPAN® designs, manufactures and delivers the BIOHAUS® bio-based building system. Manufactured offsite using renewable materials, BIOHAUS® combines exceptional energy efficiency with significantly reduced embodied carbon.
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BIOHAUS® Design & Construction Management
We provide specialist design and construction management for BIOHAUS® projects, from technical design and offsite manufacture through to on-site delivery.
Our integrated approach enables high-performance, energy-efficient buildings with lower embodied carbon.
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BIOHAUS® Manufacture & Delivery
Our BOPAS accredited BIOHAUS® system is a panellised, bio-based building system for low-carbon homes and public buildings. Manufactured offsite for rapid on-site assembly, it provides a high-performance, energy-efficient superstructure designed to reduce embodied carbon and store biogenic carbon.
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Research & Development & Innovation
HEMSPAN® continues to advance the BIOHAUS® system for scalable offsite manufacture, while further improving the sustainability and performance of its superstructure.
Through our partnership with Margent Form, we are also helping bring innovative, low-carbon construction products to market.
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Scaling Bio-Based Construction
Together with our engineering, manufacturing and distribution partners, we are expanding the production and adoption of durable, energy-efficient bio-based construction systems.
This work is making these materials more commercially viable, widely available and increasingly relevant to the buildings of the future.
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Enabling UK Industrial Hemp Farming
By generating long-term demand for hemp-based building materials, we are strengthening UK supply chains from field to finished product.
Through our partnership with FIBAMAX®, we connect UK-grown industrial hemp with the processing capacity and scalable construction markets needed to enable a viable domestic farming industry.
Change is needed and fast
Embodied Carbon Emissions Have Been Overlooked
Achieving drastic cuts in all carbon emissions over the next decade is critical to keeping global temperature rise below 1.5°C.
Therefore, addressing upfront carbon is crucial to fighting the climate crisis. New construction is expected to double the world’s building stock by 2060, causing an increase in the carbon emissions occurring right now.
Coordinated action from across the construction sector is required to dramatically change the way buildings are designed, built, used and deconstructed.
The Solution is Hemp
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One hectare of UK-grown industrial hemp can absorb 11 tonnes of CO2 into its stem each year.
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Regeneratively farmed hemp has the capacity to sequester a further 6 tonnes per hectare of CO2 into the soil each year.
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Hemp can be turned into bio-based insulation and bio-cladding combining with structural timber to deliver carbon negative building systems.
Additional Benefits of Hemp
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Sustainable and Low
Embodied EnergyHemp requires very little water, maintenance and no herbicides or chemical pesticides. As an annual crop, it can be grown in just 4 months to full growth and needs little processing to produce, making it a key source to help fight deforestation.
When (male) hemp flowers bloom, they are a great source of pollen for bees which is an added benefit for our wildlife.
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Thermal Insulation
As a medium-density insulation material, hemp is safe, efficient and durable. Low conductivity and a higher thermal mass enable it to retain heat and regulate thermal performance for a comfortable internal environment. Another benefit of hemp insulation is its excellent acoustic isolation and noise-reducing properties.
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A Building That Breathes
Building with hemp prevents condensation. Hemp insulation can absorb up to 20% of its weight in moisture without affecting performance.
Hemp insulation can also release moisture when required and regulate internal humidity. This eco-friendly insulation is resistant to mould, which aids in the prevention of damp issues.
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The Versatile Plant
100% of a hemp crop can be used, and hemp farming has around 25,000 uses. Once harvested, the softer leaves, flowers and seeds are utilised within the beauty and food industry.
The rest of the plant can be used for livestock or textiles, and the stem can be used in natural fibre and building materials, such as hemp insulation. Nothing needs to go to waste; what is produced is biodegradable and recyclable, making it truly eco-friendly.
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Crop Enhancer
Hemp is an excellent plant for adding diversity to crop rotation, with roots growing deep into the soil, which can help absorb harmful chemicals left behind from cash crops.
Not only is hemp eco-friendly. It can also help reduce erosion, loosen the soil and naturally regenerate beneficial nutrients back into the soil.
Latest Stories
Blog
Green Building Recognition for a Shared Vision
HEMSPAN® Receives Highly Commended Recognition at the UK Green Business Awards 2026
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As the temperature drops, we look at ways to improve comfort in our homes and show a home for the future, that is here now!
Where It All Started
Co-Founder Inspiration: Steve Barron TEDx
Watch Steve's inspiring talk on his journey into hemp farming. He shares his story and vision as well as the reasons hemp should be the crop of the future.
Partners & Collaborators
