These DIY Hemp Cabins Combine Sustainability and Style

All images courtesy of Coexist Build

Design firm Coexist Build recently launched a DIY cabin made entirely out of hemp. Coexist Build co-founder Anastasiya Konopatskaya told Dwell that the cabins were developed largely in response to the unique trials put upon parents by the pandemic: “We were struggling to get our work done with two small children at home. We kept thinking, if only we could have a tiny office in the backyard.” The result of their brainchild was a small but mighty design-forward cabin that can be constructed virtually anywhere you need it to be.

Designed with durability in mind, the 140-square-foot cabins are composed of “hempcrete,” a material that naturally hardens over time and requires very little maintenance. “We have spent three years building and designing with hempcrete, so it was only natural for us to combine our experience of building small homes with healthy, unconventional construction,” Coexist Build co-founder Drew Oberholtzer told Dwell. “And so a ‘shelter with purpose’—a healthy, sustainable space for any need—was born.”

The cabins feature timber joinery designed by master craftsmen from Pennsylvania, and the timber is all locally sourced from FSC-certified forests and milled by local craftsmen, further enhancing the cabins' sustainability. However, due to the complex regulations around hemp in the U.S., the company currently imports the material from Europe, with the hope to source it locally in the future.

According to Coexist Build, when hemp is mixed with lime and water, it creates a material that’s insect-, mold-, and fire-resistant, making the cabins ideal for climates ranging from the dry, California desert to hot, humid regions, like Florida. Hempcrete also works to regulate a space’s temperature and moisture, which can reduce the cabins’ heating and cooling costs. In fact, the company estimates that you can save about 40% on heating and cooling compared to traditional homes.

But beyond being convenient and sustainable, the cabins are incredibly beautiful, featuring a minimal, California modern design complete with a sleeping loft and expansive sliding glass doors that give the homes a sense of indoor-outdoor harmony. Even better, the cabins are a cinch to assemble, only requiring an electric drill, a screw gun, a mallet, and 2-4 people. And they typically take just a weekend or two to complete.

Appropriately, the cabins officially launched on Earth Day and start at $26,900. If you'd like to call one of these beauties home, then you can preorder it here with a $500 deposit.

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