Australia’s first hempcrete passivhaus

Cascading down the site with an enthusiasm that can only be matched by its owners passion for sustainable design is what could be Australia’s first passive house certified hemcrete home. Whilst from the street, the home expresses itself quite humbly, the fabric of the build sets the benchmark for what every home in Australia should be endeavouring to achieve.  

On a site running east to west, the brief was for a young family who wants a sunny and inviting home that will provide their children a safe haven for decades to come. Comprising four bedrooms, two living areas, expansive deck and enclosed pool house, the interiors are modern and fresh challenging the notion that a hempcrete home needs to be rustic.

Constructed from 300mm carbon hungry hempcrete walls, the building both breathes and retains an internally stable temperature all year round. The simple roof form is constructed from structurally insulated panels (SIPs) and includes highlight windows to gain northern solar access to the rear bedrooms. A heat recovery ventilation system maintains indoor air quality within an airtight envelope required for passive house certification. Providing a stable internal air temperature of around 22 degrees, the need for heating and cooling is made more or less redundant.

- words by Gruen Eco Design