University of British Columbia architecture student Katie Theall can vividly recall the"surreal moment" when their team learned it had received a site on the Vancouver campus to build a "carbon-minimal" student space.

The 222-square-metre building, called Third Space Commons, is one of Canada's first such institutional spaces designed to be near-zero carbon and features a seminar area, a meeting room and a kitchen. The building is wood framed, while the thermal insulation is made of hempcrete, a mixture of hemp fibres, lime and water, which produces a much smaller carbon footprint than concrete construction, Theall said.

Theall said hempcrete might not be the ideal solution for every building, but she hopes it inspires more low-carbon designs, and that industry leaders can start cultivating innovation by using more carbon-negative materials.