We represent over 55 years of experience in design and construction including over 40 years of natural building and hempcrete experience
Each house plan is a collaboration between design and building professionals who specialize in sustainable and healthy buildings as well as the advancement of alternative building materials, such as Hempcrete .
April Magill is a pioneering architect and small business owner focused on Healthy Buildings. Since 2011, she has been the Owner and Principal Architect of Root Down Designs; a woman-owned architecture firm based out of Charleston, SC, with a specialty focus on healthy buildings and alternative building materials.
In 2023, she founded a non-profit organization, the Root Down Building Collective, whose mission is to Advance Climate-Smart & Equitable Housing Solutions. RDBC designed and built a hempcrete pilot project (shown in the picture to the left) through an educational format, and is now collecting continuous data on the thermal performance of hempcrete in the south, and it’s moisture management properties. RDBC was the co-recipient of a federal EPA Environment Justice grant to build healthy, affordable housing in North Charleston, SC.
In 2020, April launched the Root Down House Plan co. in order to help create more accessible avenues for the construction of healthy homes.
Gina Iacovelli
Gina Iacovelli is a Healthy Home Interior Specialist and designer with over 10 years of experience in Charleston, SC. She joined Root Down Designs in 2018 to promote alternative building materials and affordable healthy housing. Gina has researched toxic materials in homes and aims to create designs that enhance well-being. In 2023, she earned a certificate in ‘Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building’ from Parsons School of Design. She also launched a 600-page e-catalog, the Healthy Homes Package, featuring healthier interior alternatives, available with all of our house plan purchases.
Prior to working with the Root Down team, Gina spent many years working in several of Charleston’s architecture firms, delivering high-end interior design services. Gina also has a background working in Amish furniture design/build businesses in her home town of PA.
Gina continues to help the RDHPco inventory grow, as well as providing her invaluable input on sustainable and healthy materials and finishes.
Tim Callahan
Tim is a former naval architect and general contractor. He is now in his fifth decade of design-build work, with extensive experience in guitar-making, timber framing, custom cabinetry, custom blue-water sailboats and residential construction. Since 1995, his work has been focused on the creation of healthy & energy-efficient homes. In an effort to develop a model for a low-carbon and non-toxic living environment, Tim led the design team for the Nauhaus Prototype in 2009; this was the first of 10 permitted hemp-lime projects which he has designed, ranging in size from 1200-9600 square feet. In 2005, Tim authored the book, ‘Building Green: A Complete Guide to Alternative Building Methods.” Tim lives in Asheville, NC, where he enjoys the outdoors and making music with his friends. Nauhaus Prototype.
The co-creation of our Hempstead, Hempcrete house plans and resources could not be possible without Tim’s invaluable input and the decades of work experience with hempcrete in the southeastern climate regions.
Tim served on the ICC code committee which recently helped with the adoption of the new Hempcrete building code as a part of the 2024 IRC.
Tim has recently launched the release of his latest book, ‘Hempsteads - Architectural Details for Hemp-Lime Construction,’ available here.
INDUSTRY PARTNERS AND CALABORATORS
Prefabricated (SHIP) Structural Hemp-Insulated Panels
We’ve collaborated with Homeland Hempcrete in order to deliver pre-designed Hempcrete house plans which utilize their pre-fab hempcrete wall panels.
Learn more here.
Americhanvre is a hempcrete material supplier and qualified installer of the Ereasy Hempcrete Spray-In system.
Our Hempstead/Hempcrete house plan clients have collaborated with Americhanvre for both their material needs as well as sub-contracted labor for the spray-in installation method.
Check out Root Down’s Hempcrete work here