Australian Hemp Masonry Pty Ltd are the leading suppliers of certified Australian made and developed BCAcompliant hempcrete materials for construction and retrofitting of residential and commercial projects.
We are a small company known and respected for developing innovative products researched and developed in Australia for Australian conditions, as well as for our 20-plus year history and commitment to the development of the Australian hemp industry. Sustainability and climate change are ‘front-of mind’ issues for us.
Supported by extensive research at the University of NSW and the University of Technology, Sydney-based Australian Hemp Masonry offers a high level of technical support for building professionals. The company also delivers training for builders and building designers.
• Natural building product
• Excellent thermal insulation
• Stable internal temperatures
• Monolithic – no thermal bridging
• Standard timber framed construction
• Simple hand on (can be DIY)
• Vapour permeable – reduces condensation
• High indoor air quality
• Acoustic isolation
• Non-combustible
• Mould and pest resistant
• Aesthetically pleasing
• Supports agriculture industry – productive crop for carbon farming
• Construction waste and at end of life can be composted
• Long-term durability
• Grown and made in Australia
Our materials
Developed at the University of NSW, our lime binder’ is the first Australian-developed and manufactured hemp-lime building material available for the construction of non-loadbearing walls and roofing and subfloor insulation.
Our thermally effective, low embodied energy products are an ideal solution for addressing Australia’s carbon emissions through carbon storage in buildings. Hemp Masonry locks up the carbon captured in hemp fibre to form a carbon sink. The building material then continues to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as it slowly cures through an ongoing carbonation process.
For walling
We supply building grade low THC hemp grown and processed through our partnerships with Australian farmers and processors.
Feature wall by Hannan Build. Image by Tara Jones
The goals of our research with UNSW were to identify the most durable and environmentally friendly form of hempcrete that could be mass produced in Australia and to use as few mined, energy intensive materials as possible.
AHM Lime Binder and Hemp-lime render are manufactured in Sydney for national distribution.
Often referred to as hempcrete, our products create non-combustible, breathable, thermally efficient exterior and interior walls.
Exterior wall surfaces must be rendered with a breathable lime or Hemp lime render.
Interior walls can be rendered or can include feature, or off-form finishes which are sealed with a clear breathable sealant.
The material has high vapour permeability, high elasticity and flexibility. It is an excellent insulator.
Subfloor and roofing insulation
AHM subfloor and roofing insulation forms a light firm airy masonry wafer, creating an effective thermal envelope and maximising airtightness while avoiding the settling and compaction over time common to many insulation products.
This product also works acoustically, reducing noise, e.g. effectively trialled in Marrickville under Sydney flight path.
The lime binder protects the material from flammability and has antifungal and anti-bacterial characteristics.
Usually used as an infill surrounding a timber frame constructed to Australian Standard AS 1684.2 for residential and commercial timber framed construction.
Hemp Masonry buildings achieve exceptional thermal comfort with minimal heating and cooling, minimising ongoing operational energy costs because the materials are:
• highly insulative
• form a light thermal mass
• breathable
• manage moisture well
AHM hemp lime render
Our hemp lime render was formulated to reflect the breathability of our walling material. It is also an excellent render for other natural building materials, or on conventional masonry or brickwork.
AHM Hemp-lime render includes hemp fines. It can be trowel finished or sponged to give the rendered wall a slightly textured finish.
AHM is currently engaged in a further 3-year research project with the University of Technology in Sydney under an ARC grant, gathering the first comprehensive Australian thermal and acoustic data as well as assessing the indoor air quality in buildings constructed from our current product range, as well as from two builds constructed from our prototype prefabricated panels which we will be introduced to the Australian market in 2024.
Homes constructed with our materials have won the following awards:
2023 BDAA National Design Awards – Winner Liveable Housing Design – Kirrawee Hemp Duplex (Connected Design)
2018 Housing Industry Association (HIA) National GreenSmart Award – OConnor Hemp House (Plan It Green)
2018 MasterBuilders People’s Choice Award (ACT) – OConnor Hemp House (Plan It Green)
2018 BDAA Residential Sustainable Building Design Awards and Paul Dass Memorial Award – Mudgee Hempcrete House (Envirotecture)
2017 NSW MasterBuilders Energy efficiency Award – Possum Creek Hempcrete House (Balanced Earth Building)
2016 Marrickville Council’s Sustainable Building Award – Marrickville Hempcrete Extension and Renovation (Connected Design)
