11/17/2025
The Eureka Hempcrete Home Is Complete — A First for Humboldt County!
Ribbon cutting today and a public viewing Saturday
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Backman Building Services is proud to share the completion of the Eureka Hempcrete Home, built with locally fabricated h**pcrete wall panels — the first of its kind in our region. This project represents a year of design innovation, problem-solving, hands-on labor, and community collaboration.
Design–Build Lead: Backman Building Services served as the designer, general contractor, builder, and construction manager, with structural and seismic engineering by Shobe Engineering. We worked closely with the homeowner, developed the full design, and led the entire construction from start to finish — including fabricating all h**pcrete wall panels ourselves, since no local facility existed for this work.
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Collaboration & Community Support
-This project benefited from meaningful support from several partners:
• Indigenous Habitat Institute (IHI) – mission support, h**pcrete education, and help coordinating volunteers during panel pours
• Franklin Richards and the Building Lives by Building Structure program at Hoopa Modular – provided space, guidance on factory-built processes, and worked alongside us throughout wall framing
• Derrick Glavich and the College of the Redwoods Construction Technology students – hands-on framing support and learning opportunities
• City of Eureka Building & Planning Departments – for supporting sustainable, natural building practices in our community
Skilled Subcontractors
We are grateful to the professionals whose craftsmanship elevated this project:
• Max Niehaus – New House Construction: foundation, framing, roofing, wall panel assembly, and reclaimed redwood siding
• Haven Electric: solar, battery systems, and electrical service
• JZ Contracting: transport of wall panels from Hoopa to Eureka
• New Age Plaster: three master plaster artisans who came out of retirement to consult and complete the lime plaster finish
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About the Build
This home includes large prefabricated h**pcrete wall panels cast in Hoopa, using high-performance Saint Astier binder and curated h**p hurd. Backman Building and Shobe Engineering developed custom structural solutions for transport, lifting, and installation. This demonstration showcases h**pcrete’s potential for durable, fire-resistant, sustainable housing in California.
Special Thanks
Our sincere thanks to homeowner Joann Kerns for her trust, to all partners and volunteers who contributed, and to everyone in the local h**p community who supported and encouraged this effort.
We are honored to help bring this groundbreaking home to life.
— Backman Building Services LLC
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