Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

A New Kit Home Made From Hemp Blocks

A New Kit Home Made From Hemp Blocks

Coexist Build launches a DIY tiny home that’s designed to be built in just a week.

Shortly after developing the nation’s first hemp house on wheels, Coexist Build has launched the Traveler, a DIY cabin made from hempcrete. The 140-square-foot tiny house kit was created partly in response to the pandemic, says architect Anastasiya Konopatskaya, who founded Coexist Build with her husband, Drew Oberholtzer. "We were struggling to get our work done with two small children at home," he says. "We kept thinking-if only we could have a tiny office in the backyard."



"We call it the Traveler because it will travel to you, you can travel to it, or you travel within it, into your own healthy world," says the Coexist Build team.



Designed to last for generations, the Traveler cabins incorporate heavy timber joinery made by a master craftsman from Pennsylvania. The hempcrete insulation will naturally harden over time, while the exterior components require very little maintenance.

"We have spent 3 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," Oberholtzer explains. "And so a ‘shelter with purpose’-a healthy, sustainable space for any need-was born."

In addition to their design practice, the husband-and-wife duo owns and operates a regenerative organic farm in Berks County, Pennsylvania, that doubles as a research and development lab for experimenting with healthy, plant-based building materials.



Coexist Build makes and sells prefabricated hempcrete blocks-called Coexist Hemp Blocks-which are available for bulk purchase from their website. The company produces up to 1,000 blocks a day in their eastern Pennsylvania facility.

Since the hemp industry in the US is still maturing, the couple imports raw materials from Europe with the hope of sourcing locally in the near future. The couple use mineral-based binders to manufacture cured hempcrete blocks in their own facility 10 miles from their farm. All timber used in the Traveler kit is sourced locally from FSC-certified forests and milled by local craftsmen.

"When hemp, lime, and water are combined, it creates an assembly that is mold, fire, and insect-resistant. It’s perfect for climates like ours in the Northeast, but also for humid places like Florida and dry ones like California," explain the couple.



The 140-square-foot Traveler kit can accommodate two queen-sized beds on the ground level, and it also has an additional sleeping area on the loft level.



The Traveler can be equipped with either hemp batt insulation or hemp block as infill.

"Hempcrete helps regulate temperature and moisture inside a space with minimum variation, thus minimizing heating/cooling costs during the colder and warmer seasons-it is estimated that you save about 40% in those costs," they say. "The plaster finish on the exterior and interior requires minimum maintenance in the long run, and in addition, hemp is a regenerative plant with a short growing cycle."

The hemp and wood used in the kit are free from formaldehyde, VOCs, and allergens. All other materials in the kit were carefully selected based on their environmental and health impact. "This is the first hemp-and wellness-based DIY kit on the market," say the couple.



The design for the Traveler takes cues from California modernism with an emphasis on indoor/outdoor living, natural materials, and a sense of warmth.

Pricing for the 140-square-foot Traveler kit house starts at $26,900. Each kit comes with an illustrated instruction manual along with labeled precut parts that are designed to be assembled by a team of two to four people in a few weekends. The only tools needed are an electric drill, a screw gun, and a mallet.

Officially launched on Earth Day 2021, the Traveler DIY kit is now available for preorder with a $500 deposit. Production will begin once a minimum of five preorders has been met.



Traveler diagram. Customers can choose different options for the exterior cladding, insulation, and interior cladding.



Traveler section and plan

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
×