PROJECTS
(^) // BUILDING10: DESIGN HEMP HOUSE
LOCATION TARANAKI, NEW ZEALAND
In the interests of building a healthy house
for their family, pioneering homeowners Greg
Whittam and his partner Gayle Avery built a
house made of hemp. Ground up and mixed
with a lime-based binder and water, industrial
hemp forms hempcrete, an alternative cladding
material that is sustainable, has good thermal
properties and is fi re-resistant. And because
the core of the plant is permeable to vapour, it
also allows the house to breathe and thus expel
toxins. The project’s foundation was created
using a novel fl oating slab system that provides
additional airfl ow and is quicker and easier to
install than the conventional polystyrene block
method. And, to facilitate the breathability
of the hemp-clad walls, magnesium-oxide
boards were used for the internal lining. “It
was approximately twice the price of normal
plasterboard, but it had to be done if we
wanted to benefi t from the breathability of the
hemp,” says Greg. In the end, despite a few
early stumbles, the coming together of two
diff erent ideologies didn’t impede the progress
or aff ect the outcome of the build, and
produced a home that is truly one of a kind.
Architectural Design Stanley Gray
(stanleygray.co.nz)
11: DESIGN CHAMFER HOUSE
LOCATION MORNINGTON PENINSULA, VICTORIA
In updating this unique home on the Mornington
Peninsula, architect Warwick Mihaly of Mihaly
Slocombe took inspiration from the original
architect, Kevin Borland, to devise a strategy
of development that would respect existing
elements while sensitively infi ltrating with
new elements to create a harmonious update.
Committed to sustainability, the build relied
largely on retaining and restoring as much of
the home’s original fabric as possible. “We
paid particular attention to materials, choosing
options that were locally produced and low in
embodied energy,” says Warwick. “This honoured
the romantic rationalism of Kevin Borland’s
design and made the best use of contemporary
construction processes. In particular, this led
to the extensive use of Australian hardwood
timbers.” In taking a sensitive approach, the
bespoke fi nishes on an upgrade of this magnitude
are testament to the respect for the integrity of
the original architectural genius.
Architectural Design Mihaly Slocombe
(mihalyslocombe.com.au)
Builder Basis Builders (basisbuilders.com)
Photography Andrew Latreille
10
11