Hemp Voices: Ashley Javogue, Zegreenlab Construction, Costa Rica
Ashley Javogue, co-founder and CEO of Zegreenlab Construction, Costa Rica.
We design and manufacture blocks and plasters made with hemp and other vegetable fibers.
In 2015, my husband, Emmanuel, and I organized a cannabis convention in San José, Costa Rica, named CannaCosta. Monika Brümmer of Cannabric – a pioneer in the hemp building field - was among the specialists invited to speak. When I saw her hemp-lime bricks, it became obvious that this would be a great material to build with in our tropical climate.
We kicked off in 2017 with a hemp building workshop led by Steve Allin of the International Hemp Building Association (IHBA). We have been building with hemp and other vegetable fibers ever since. To date, we have completed twenty-five projects, from private homes to stores to eco-resorts.
Hempcrete is attractive to people. The ecological component is important, and its vegetable/mineral quality is pleasant to behold. The best part, which comes much later in the process, is the feeling. Houses built with this material are in fact more comfortable. The interior is cool and dry. Tropical houses built with hempcrete need little to no air conditioning. It is a positive experience for the end-user who tends to recommend it and bring us new clients.
Our mission is to make it easy for builders and architects to adopt hempcrete in their projects.
To address this, we have devised prefabricated building systems in the form of blocks and panels. Construction workers can quickly learn how to implement these products on the job site.
Contractors and architects acquire a new building solution to propose to their clients.
Our lime plasters have become a popular product line, even for use on walls built with mainstream materials. Lime plaster finishes are breathable and beautiful, velvety and marbled.
We also sell mixes for floors and are currently designing panels for drop ceilings.
Last year was a busy one for us. We started construction of a new factory for producing blocks on a large scale with hemp hurds and sugarcane bagasse, due to open in April 2025. With this new factory we will be able to provide natural building materials for larger projects and become the leading hemp block provider in Central America.
Hempcrete attracts a lot of attention, but there are still hurdles to overcome for it to become a mainstream building material. The first is to scale up production of hempcrete blocks.
Competitive prices and easy availability will make hempcrete accessible to a wider audience.
This is the goal of our new factory.
Another task is to offer knowledge and training in the field. Builders and architects are curious and eager to adopt this new product, but they need experience and confidence to use it in their projects. Once familiar with it, they are convinced that hempcrete is the best material for ecological construction and comfortable homes. My team and I see a great future for this type of building material in this part of the world.
www.zegreenlabconstruction.com
Lorena, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Email: ashley@zegreenlab.com
Phone: +506-8301-5826
