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Food, clothing, and shelter are considered basics for existence. And those needs probably also deserve some elaboration. Wholesome food (and clean water), warm clothing, and safe shelter are, again, more specifically what any person truly needs. The ability for anyone to build safe, rugged, sustainable (portable) and affordable housing for themself and their family is the direction in which the ‘American Dream’ seems to be evolving. Modern homeownership in America is often equated to indentured servitude! Because the average cost of a home is above 200 thousand dollars, it is simply not affordable for the vast majority of young families, especially in urban areas.

That’s exactly what made us want to build the Hemp Heart Home! In fact, Mindful SWFL can not imagine a better-suited project for ‘building community & developing self’! Thus began our quest to envision, design, and build (?) Hemp Heart Home! The ability for any capable adult to build their own affordable home/dwelling, we believe, is essential. Renting a home or apartment shouldn’t be the sole option for persons with limited funds, as doing so offers no future security.

Sustainable and affordable housing is everything! Given that belief, Hemp Heart Home should use sustainable materials for the build. Recycled, upcycled, or repurposed materials will be a focus. It is our desire to use home building products made from commercial hemp! They represent ‘the future of smart construction’. Our desire is to use hemp wool for our home’s insulation and to also choose hemp wood for interior walls & flooring.

In addition to the improved strength and durability it offers, hemp is also stronger than other wood and weighs less! The best aspect of hemp is the negative carbon footprint. Hemp absorbs excess carbon dioxide from the surroundings! Exterior cladding can be a combination of upcycled metal siding and hemp board trim.

Along with hemp wood furniture, we will also plan to use the most energy-efficient appliances; refrigerator/freezer, gas range/oven, vent hood, fans, mini-split, and washer/dryer combo available. Aside from these, our windows, door, composting toilet, solar panels, inverter, and batteries will be our largest cost items. Smart locks, low-VOC lighting, mesh WiFi, plumbing, and electricals will be a necessary cost incursion, as well.

Hemp Heart Home will be a primary residence, Mindful SWFL‘s home office, and, most importantly, a model for sustainable technology available for building. We aspire to be an RV certified build, as that would allow us the flexibility of accommodation within campgrounds, RV parks, or a private property allowing additional dwelling units.

The Hemp Heart Home project is underway! Being conscious of the numerous obstacles likely to be encountered, we know it will be an adventure! However, because we can’t do it alone, we’d like to ask for your support to help us build! Once we’ve purchased our trailer and frame to get started, we’ll share the build process right here!

We Appreciate Your Support!
If you would like to ‘Help Us Build’, click below!

'Hemp Heart Home' funding Goal!
Funding Raised 3.5%
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Wray Burgess

Front End Developer

Wray is the Founder and CEO of Mindful SWFL. Find him at the beach, practicing yoga, or gardening if he's not online.