Geoffs High-Performance House Tour | Narara Ecovillage | Hempcrete in Australia S3 Ep11

In this episode, we visit another hempcrete home at Narara Ecovillage, following on from previous tours of Megan’s, Linda’s and Donna’s houses. This time, Geoff takes us through the home he built as an owner-builder, sharing hard-earned insights into hempcrete construction, passive solar design, airtightness, and high-performance detailing. Built in 2021, this home demonstrates what’s possible when natural materials are paired with rigorous building practice. With an 8.8 NatHERS rating, slab-edge insulation, heat recovery ventilation, double-glazed hardwood windows, and carefully considered shading, the house was designed to operate without air conditioning and with minimal heating. Key features explored in this video include: Hempcrete walls using locally grown hemp from the Hunter Valley Australian Hemp Masonry supplied the binder Lime and clay renders for vapour permeability and healthy indoor air Heat recovery ventilation for a well-sealed home North-facing passive solar design with seasonal shading Double-glazed Murray River Redgum windows and doors Bushfire-resilient materials (BAL 29 compliant) Termite protection detailing with insulated slab construction Solar-ready roof with 11kW installed (expandable to ~25kW) EV integration and future vehicle-to-home capability Food production gardens, wicking beds, and productive landscaping This build also highlights the community and circular economy side of hemp construction, with walls completed through a hands-on workshop involving volunteers learning skills they’ve since taken into their own projects. Partners & Supporters This video series exists to document and share real-world hempcrete and natural building knowledge in Australia. If you’re a business, supplier, consultant, or organisation aligned with hemp, sustainable construction, or regenerative design, you can support individual videos or become an ongoing media partner. Media partnership helps fund filming, editing, and distribution — ensuring these stories continue to be told and reach a wider audience. To discuss sponsorship or media partnership, get in touch via environmentarian.au Supported by Hemp Building Directory Connecting you with hemp building professionals, education, advocacy, and trusted contacts across Australia and New Zealand. Explore the directory or book a chat at hempbuilding.au #hempcrete #hemplime #hemp #sustainablebuilding #ecobuilding #hempbuilding #carbonneutralbuilding #passivedesign #thermalmass #australia #offgrid Please subscribe to this channel, like and comment on the videos and share them with people who may be interested. Thank you. _________________________________________________ About Jeremy Thomas of www.environmentarian.au Jeremy has Business and Building Design Diplomas. His most recent start up Environmentarian focuses on morally conscious business and web development. A flagship project is the Hemp Building Directory at hempbuilding.au. “You can’t stop progress but you can make it more sustainable” Jeremy Thomas | Environmentarian ___________________________________________________ I need your help to do more good work. I do a tonne of un paid work for the future of our children. Real steps to sequester carbon and burn less fossil fuels. Please support me on Patreon... patreon.com/user?u=36966833 ___________________________________________________