A small estate of houses is being built using hemp so that it can go beyond zero carbon to become carbon negative.
Pure Eco Homes is building five homes in Burrough Green - which lies between Newmarket and Haverhill - with the help of a company called Hemspan, which uses hemp as a build material.
The estate include a series of eco-measures - some of which have never been seen before in the homes market, said agents Cheffins.
The barn-style homes at Oak Tree Rise on a two-acre plot are due to be launched in early 2024 and are being built in line with Passivhaus standards with hemp as the primary insulation material.
The external walls will be insulated but also breathable - and the homes will offer "first class" acoustic properties as well as "the highest standard of thermal performance and temperature regulation", said Cheffins.
Other eco measures include solar shading, household water conservation, mechanical heat-recovery ventilation (MVHR), low VOC (volatile organic compounds) natural materials, and insulated raft foundations.
The scheme - which lies on the Cambridgeshire border - will also use low carbon cement and a solar array will ensure the properties are energy neutral.
The properties have a predicted energy performance rating of 97/100, with each designed to generate more energy than is used.
Sam Harding, head of new homes at Cheffins, said: “These houses will set the bar for energy efficiency on not just a local level, but also nationally, and we are excited to be able to offer these to the market shortly.
"Pure Eco Homes and Hemspan are two forward thinking companies which look set to disrupt the market, and completely redefine what is considered an ‘eco home.’
"Technically, such is the efficiency of these homes that buyers should have incredibly low energy bills, as the combination of solar arrays, first-class insulation and energy-saving technologies, make them almost completely self-sufficient.
"Beyond the eco measures, these properties offer aspirational homes, in a desirable location, which have been designed with modern country life in mind, while also adhering to an admirable central ethos.”
Anthony Martin, managing director of Pure Eco Homes, said they had worked with an "exceptional" team of environmental surveyors, interior designers, structural engineers and architects on the project.
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