Residential Hemp Home Build

This private residence in Auckland uses Rubisco hemp hurd as the infill for its wall system. Mixed with a lime-based binder and cast in layers around a timber frame, the hurd forms solid, breathable and insulating walls with a warm, natural finish that needs little added treatment. The images follow the build as it progresses, from the build team at work on site to the finished walls taking shape around the windows, doors and openings of the house.

HempTEC™ Hurd is grown and processed by Rubisco in Canterbury, giving the build a traceable, locally produced building material. The project shows how a crop grown on New Zealand farms becomes the fabric of a house.

HempTEC™ Hurd is the woody inner core of the hemp stalk, separated from the fibre during processing and graded for consistency. Lightweight and porous, it absorbs and releases moisture to help regulate humidity and slows heat transfer through the walls. Combined with a binder, it forms a durable, breathable material suited to residential construction.

In a hemp home, hurd is mixed with a binder and cast around a structural timber frame to form the walls. Once cured, the walls act as both insulation and a finished surface, reducing the number of layers needed in the build. Their vapour-permeable structure allows moisture to move through the wall rather than becoming trapped, helping maintain steady humidity and more stable temperatures inside the home. In Auckland's humid climate, this moisture buffering is a practical advantage for year-round comfort.