Australian couple Michael and Tiffany Leung wanted to build their dream home, but it had to be small, and it had to be built with materials that wouldn’t make the construction workers sick. They decided to build their tiny house out of hemp, a wonder plant that makes excellent filler for buildings.
Hemp is a very versatile plant that can be used for all sorts of things. Rarely though, is it used to build a house. That’s exactly what Tiffany and her husband Michael did when they created their home, Skyfarm, using a building material called hempcrete
The family felt very passionately about building their home using only safe building materials, something that is challenging in today’s chemical-soaked building industry. Their research alerted them to the wonders of hempcrete, and they used that as the primary material in their Australian home.
Much of the construction of the home was collaborative between the homeowner and his builders. For instance, one building split a tree down the middle and placed the pieces within the wall. Another built the roof trusses in different shapes — one of which contains two runes that represent blessing and the connection between the sky and the earth.
Their two boys even got in on the building fun. The two children helped to hemp render the interior walls of what would become their sleeping area. Using trowels and a lot of energy, the boys were able to have a part in creating their own little house. No doubt the experience will stay with them for years to come.
