The Northcote Hemp Houses in Melbourne are two attached family homes that share a backyard and are built with a combination of rammed earth, timber and Hempcrete walls. The project received an 8-star energy rating and boasts passive solar design. The walls have high thermal mass and insulation thanks to rammed earth and hempcrete walls, both of which are increasingly used by environmentally conscious builders. Hempcrete is made of the woody core of the industrial hemp plant, it is easy to source, has a very low embodied energy footprint and the potential to make a wall carbon neutral.
Related: Bevan Architects Build Carbon-Negative Hemp Eco Retreat For Under £100,000
The Melbourne houses provide an excellent example for sustainable design that, thanks to a cleverly conceived courtyard, maximizes natural light and is coupled with a range of energy and water-savingmeasures.
+ Steffen Welsch Architecture
