Buying a home almost always leads to the same question: "But what if something goes wrong?" When a building technology is new to Italy, that question carries extra weight. And it should. A house deserves careful design and a careful look before you commit to it.
Let's start with a number. As of December 31, 2014, the HES system that H.0.ME. is now bringing to Italy had already been used to build 27,653 m² across Europe, according to HES Group, the HES network. The first H0ME house using HES technology — currently in preparation — comes after this track record, not before it.
Physics Tells One Story. Track Record Tells Another.
In our previous piece, we looked at λ = 0.048 W/(m·K), the figure listed on HES's technical spec sheet. It measures how easily heat moves through a material — the lower the number, the slower that transfer happens.
That figure comes from testing a sample. It's useful, but it's not the whole picture. A real wall has to be designed properly, built properly, and hold up to that performance over time.
This is where the square meters already built come in. On their own, they don't certify the quality of a new project. They don't replace engineering calculations, construction detailing, or site inspections. What they do show is that the HES system had already been applied to real buildings long before H.0.ME. brought it to Italy.
The 2014 figure is historical data from the HES network. We don't have a verified breakdown of that total by country or building type, so we're not using it to suggest a level of detail the record doesn't support.
The HES network also points to a specific case in Venice: the Fortuny Museum. Two years after the work was completed, an infrared thermographic scan — using FLIR equipment — found no signs of detachment or deterioration (source: HES network). This is an observation about one project, not a guarantee for every building. But it illustrates the gap between a spec sheet and what actually happens on a real wall over time.
Eighteen Hours: What That Means Inside Your Home
HES's technical documentation lists a thermal lag of 18 hours at a wall thickness of 320 mm. In plain terms: the heat hitting the outside of the wall doesn't show up inside right away. Its effect arrives much later.
That doesn't mean every home will perform identically. The outcome depends on the design, the wall thickness, the layering of materials, sun exposure, window choices, and how the home is actually lived in. What it does mean is that the wall isn't reacting instantly to swings in outdoor temperature.
This connects directly to everyday comfort and how a home handles indoor humidity — a subject we explore further in breathing walls and indoor comfort.
On one side, you have laboratory figures. On the other, you have real-world applications already completed by the HES network. Neither one replaces the actual design work for the first H0ME home. Together, they show where the project starts from.
H.0.ME. holds the license for Italy, granted in 2019, covering patent US 10,266,451 B2, filed internationally as PCT/CH2015/000085 (source: HES/H0ME documentation). H.0.ME. — a General Contractor based in Avellino since 2019 — is now preparing its first Italian construction site using HES technology.
For more on the material itself, take a look at how the HES mix works and our deep dive on hemp shiv particle size.
If the system was already active in Europe, why is the first H0ME house happening only now?
H.0.ME. has held the Italian license since 2019. That first home is the first construction site H.0.ME. is managing directly in Italy using HES technology.
Was that 27,653 m² all residential?
We don't have verified detail on what made up that 2014 total. The number should be read as total built area using the HES system across Europe — not attributed to a single building category.
Does the local climate change the outcome?
Yes. Every project has to start from the specific site. HES's spec sheet lists λ = 0.048 W/(m·K), an 18-hour thermal lag at 320 mm, and A4 energy class performance at 35 cm in climate zone D. The exact thickness and layering for the first H0ME home will be determined by its specific design.
To understand the system before it takes shape on-site, visit our Technology page. Previous piece: 0.048: The Number That Decides If Your Home Breathes. Next up: what the G. Rodari School tells us about the air we breathe at home.
Article produced with the support of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the H.0.ME. editorial team.