Kyneton Hempcrete cottage 2023

House Notes – Kyneton Hempcrete cottage

Our brief was to create a cleverly designed and spacious loft-style cottage on a small and narrow site that would be both environmentally conscious and healthy to live in. After much research we discovered that building with hempcrete (hemp blended with lime) offered unique and outstanding natural properties that couldn’t be matched by conventional building materials. The result is ‘Tom’s Cottage’, a beautifully crafted, energy efficient and healthy space that celebrates traditional building materials and modern construction.

The cottage displays extraordinary thermal performance due to hempcrete’s ability to both insulate and store heat. Combined with the natural beauty of ‘Venetian’ style lime plastered interior walls, hempcrete passively regulates the temperature and relative humidity within the cottage, thereby reducing reliance on mechanical heating and cooling. Visitors often ask us, “where is the air conditioning?”. Cooling is required on only the most extreme summer days and only the smallest wood heater is needed to keep it cosy in winter.

Hemp has an impressive ability to absorb carbon dioxide during its rapid growing cycle, and to capture and store carbon over time. For every square metre of wall in Tom’s Cottage, approx. 75kg of CO2 will be stored for the life of the building.

Hempcrete is also the perfect choice for a healthy home. It contains no harmful chemicals, it does not ‘off-gas’ over time and is naturally pest resistant. Additionally, hempcrete’s ability to control interior humidity levels reduces the likelihood of toxic mould growth.

Living in the Macedon Ranges means being bushfire aware. When used in conjunction with other fire resistant design elements, hempcrete can achieve BAL FZ (Bushfire Attack Level Flame Zone), the highest rating that can be applied to buildings.

Finished in timber cladding, the cottage blends into its historic surrounds.

Cosy and filled with light, Tom’s Cottage is a pleasure to live in.

Sustainability Features

Years Open
2023
ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES
    • Energy efficiency:
    • Draught proofing
      Efficient lighting
    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Cross ventilation
      Deciduous planting around house
      External planting
      Shading
      Thermal mass
    • Active heating cooling:
    • wood heater
    • Water heating:
    • Solar hot water (evacuated tube)
    • Water harvesting and saving features:
    • Rainwater storage - Above ground
    • Average water consumption per day:
    • 90
    • Above ground rainwater storage Type:
    • Polypropylene
    • Above ground rainwater storage Size
    • 1200
    • Energy Efficient Lighting
    • LED lights throughout
      Natural daylight
      Skylight
      Solar skylight
    • Window Protection:
    • Blinds
SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS
    • Sustainable materials:
    • Retained old fire chimney
    • Recycled and reused materials:
    • Bricks
      Doors
      Paving
INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS
    • Insulation Type:
    • Under-roof

    • Other Insulation Methods:
    • insulated plumbing pipes
    • Under Roof Insulation Type:
    • Hempcrete
    • Under Roof Insulation Rating:
    • R3.5
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS
    • All-Electric Home?
    • No
    • Average Daily Energy Consumption:
    • 1.65
COSTS AND COST SAVINGS
    • Total cost of home when constructed:
    • 0
    • Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
    • 15,000
    • Estimate of annual savings:
    • 2,000
HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
    • House Size
    • 75m2
    • Roof
    • Metal (Galvanised)
    • Wall Materials
    • Hempcrete
      Timber
    • Window and Door Types
    • Double hung
      Skylights
    • Number of bedrooms
    • 1
    • Number of bathrooms
    • 1
GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Bird-nesting boxes
      Composting
      Edible garden
      Greenhouse
      Local indigenous plants
      Orchard
      Organic
      Native plants
    • Waste Reduction Practices:
    • Compost all food scraps
      Recycle
      Repair
      Waste free/reduced construction site
HEALTHY HOME FEATURES
    • Healthy home features
    • Chemical free cleaning products used
      Cross flow ventilation
      Lime render/wash
      Natural fibre furnishings
      Natural light and ventilation
Location
Kyneton VIC 3444
    • Housing Type:
    • Extension
    • Project Type:
    • New Build
    • Open with support of
    • Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group
    • Builder
    • The Hemp Building Co.

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