Lyonville Hemp House demonstrates the strengths of natural building materials, thermal performance, passive solar design, small homes, and owner building on a constrained budget. We set out to build a small house that we could build ourselves and pay off quickly. The house and gardens are designed on Permaculture principles which save our labour and make for an efficient and functional farm layout, highly productive gardens and ample kitchen capacity for processing and preparing food. As a Hempcrete house, it sequesters more carbon than it creates. The house stays in a comfortable temperature range no matter what extreme weather is happening outside. Hempcrete walls with clay and lime render are breathable, passively maintaining balance in internal humidity and prevent internal condensation and mould. We have built for bushfire resilience BAL29+ and designed the garden for moisture retention, shade and baffling winds . Solar panels and water collection provide the resources we need to thrive here. We are now producing our own fruit and vegetables, berries, eggs, goat’s milk and honey. The new greenhouse is made from largely salvaged materials and is extending our growing season in Lyonville’s cold climate.
