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Abstract:
Through this research, I explore the multi-sensory properties of hemp-lime construction as an antidote to the overly visual experience of contemporary architecture. I begin design from the material and elaborate on the senses involved with the dynamics of hemp walls: the airy trio of humidity, thermal and sound. I dissolve the complexity of a conventional wall, where the layers act separately, and compare this to a hemp-lime composition which acts in unison. Throughout, my research strives to be environmentally responsible with methods of construction that consider the lifecycle of the material; from the conception of a carbon-negative product to the built experience, and to its afterlife of being recycled or fully decomposed. Alongside the historical significance of hemp and lime, the project works at crafting a space of reverence, located in the sacred site of St Raphael's Cemetery (Ontario), that cleanses the occupant's senses through materiality.