Cannabis Walls: A Sustainable and Innovative House Design

Blending Nature and Architecture for a Greener Future

Designed by the renowned Tav Group, Cannabis Walls is a groundbreaking house design that embraces sustainability and innovation. This unique project showcases the use of local, natural, and environmentally friendly materials, including in-situ carved stone and hempcrete walls, to create a harmonious living space that minimizes its ecological footprint.

The inspiration for Cannabis Walls came from the idea of building and living in a house that treads softly on the earth, leaving the faintest ecological footprint. The steep sloping site, which served as a quarry for the village stone houses in the past, provided the perfect opportunity to utilize the local stone as the primary building material. Combined with hemp and lime mixture walls cast on a timber frame, the house's volumes recline on the hillside, resembling a herd of goats gliding down the hill and offering ample opportunities for indoor-outdoor interaction.

What sets Cannabis Walls apart is its commitment to passive design principles and ecological infrastructure systems. The house is designed to provide optimal spatial and climatic conditions year-round without relying on artificial air conditioning. The entrance hall opens to a stunning southwest view of the valley and the Mediterranean horizon, capturing the sea breeze that flows through the semi-enclosed southern courtyard and across the rooms through the northern upper openings. This natural ventilation system ensures a comfortable living environment while reducing energy consumption.

The house features a range of ecological infrastructure systems, including greywater purification and reuse, roof rainwater gathering into an underground cistern, compost toilets, rooftop solar panels, and passive air conditioning. These sustainable elements not only minimize the house's impact on the environment but also contribute to a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle for its residents.

Constructed with meticulous attention to detail, the walls of Cannabis Walls are a testament to the innovative use of materials and construction techniques. The ground floor walls, made of local stone carved on-site during the excavation of the foundations, are an impressive 60 cm thick. The upper floor walls utilize hempcrete, a technology known for its excellent thermal insulation properties. Hempcrete is a mixture of hemp hurds and hydraulic lime, cast on a wood frame from renewable sources. The interior walls are made of cast rammed earth, providing additional thermal mass. The exterior walls are finished with a natural lime-based plaster, while the interior is coated with a 4 cm thick earth-based plaster.

The location of Cannabis Walls in Ein Hod, an artists' village on the western slopes of Mount Carmel, adds to its charm and connection with nature. The planning for this project started in August 2009, and after several years of design and bureaucratic processes, the actual construction began in late 2014. The house was finally inhabited in mid-2016, becoming a testament to the successful realization of a sustainable and innovative design.

Cannabis Walls has received widespread recognition for its unique approach to sustainable architecture. In 2018, it was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building, and Structure Design category. This prestigious award acknowledges the outstanding creativity and resourcefulness of the design, which incorporates best practices in art, science, design, and technology. Cannabis Walls exemplifies the fusion of technical and creative skills, contributing to improvements in quality of life and making the world a better place.

With Cannabis Walls, Tav Group has not only created a remarkable house design but also set a new standard for sustainable and innovative architecture. This project serves as an inspiration for future designers and homeowners, demonstrating that it is possible to create beautiful, functional, and environmentally friendly spaces that enhance our connection with nature.