Seeds of Change
Hear from the architects, designers, builders and manufacturers incorporating hempcrete into their practice.
Date and time
Location
498 Little Collins St
498 Little Collins Street Melbourne, VIC 3000 AustraliaAbout this event
Hempcrete is a sustainable construction material and biocomposite made from a mixture of hemp hurds and a binder, used in construction and insulation as a sustainable alternative to concrete or plasterboard. Selected for its low carbon footprint, its provenance and its biodegradability at end of life, Woods Bagot recently chose hempcrete as a key material on the redevelopment of the University of Tasmania’s heritage-listed Forestry Building. At practical completion, the Forestry Building will be the largest example of a commercial use of hempcrete in Australia.
Join a conversation with the designers, manufacturers, and builders prototyping and working with the material, exploring the possibilities of this sustainable alternative to traditionally carbon-intensive materials. In this discussion, Woods Bagot will examine the process of creating hempcrete; the risk and experimentation involved in using these new materials en masse; and the revolutionary potential of adopting circular and sustainable materials in terms of addressing rising construction costs, supply shortages, and a climate crisis.
Speakers :
- Will Brain (hempcrete technician, founder, RespiraBuilt)
- Phoebe Settle (interior designer, Woods Bagot)
- Alastair Flynn (architect, Woods Bagot)
- Alex Gorton (project manager, Hansen Yuncken)
Key discussion points for manufacturers, builders and designers will include:
- How does hempcrete perform in terms of insulation, moisture control, and fire resistance?
- How does the construction timeline and cost compare to traditional building materials?
- What are the specific environmental benefits of using hempcrete in construction projects?
- What is the level of acceptance and adoption of hempcrete in construction? Is this changing?