Making the Hemp Revolution Irresistible

Our founding Director, Dick Clarke, was interviewed recently for INDESIGNLIVE to discuss building with Hemp.

Hemp is one of the fastest-growing plants on earth, known for its incredible versatility. From textiles to building materials, its applications are vast. With a tensile strength nearly six times that of steel and a carbon-neutral footprint—absorbing more CO2 than it emits—hemp is a game-changer for sustainable construction. It also manages moisture well, is fire and mold resistant, and offers excellent thermal regulation. Despite these benefits, its adoption in large-scale projects remains limited.

Being an immature industry, hemp procurement can still be a challenge to navigate, dependent on and vulnerable to unpredictable agricultural growth cycles. “At the moment, there’s a bit of a glut of unprocessed hemp in Australia,” says Dick Clarke, who has been designing hemp homes in NSW for more than 12 years (and sustainable homes for more than 40years). “But three years ago, we were importing it [due to the drought],” he recalls. Along with challenges of availability, as a naturally grown material, there are also inconsistencies in character and quality to contend with – which can be a barrier for larger commercial projects.

Read more about Hemp in this two part article featured by INDESIGNLIVE:
Part One: The age of hemp? Aesthetics, legalities and the promise of carbon-neutrality
Part Two: “We just need to make the revolution irresistible”: A story about hemp”