In early 2023, we launched the Hemp Building Directory with a straightforward goal: make it easier for Australians and New Zealanders to build with hemp. Not easier in theory, easier in practice. One place to find the builders, suppliers, architects, educators and innovators already working in this space, so that anyone curious about hempcrete didn’t have to start from scratch.
It was a modest beginning. A clean website, an ambitious idea, and a deep belief that hemp deserved a bigger role in how we build our homes.
Hemp sequesters large amounts of carbon, locks it into walls with outstanding insulation, and delivers benefits that run from farmer to family. People, planet, profit, it’s not a trade-off. It’s the whole point.
How it works…
A Platform Built for Real People
HBD is a practical tool, not a passive information hub. We connect people, homebuilders, renovators, developers, architects, with the right contacts across the hemp building supply chain. Free basic listings keep the door open for everyone, while paid memberships give businesses greater visibility, access to data, and a meaningful foothold in a sector that’s growing fast.
We publish consistent content covering real projects, regulation updates, events and industry innovation, distributed through a monthly newsletter that has become a trusted resource for newcomers and seasoned professionals alike. The goal is always the same: reduce the perceived risk around hemp as a building material by showing what’s actually being built, by real people, right now.
HBD is a partnership between Shelter Building Design and Environmentarian, combining deep industry knowledge with cost-efficient digital delivery. By keeping infrastructure lean and operations in-house, revenue goes back into the platform rather than overhead. It’s a social enterprise model: sustainability first, with clear commercial pathways that grow alongside the community.
The Numbers
Three Years In. Here’s Where We Stand.
The growth has been real, measurable, and, we’ll admit, genuinely exciting to watch.
- ~50%Year-on-year website growth
- 19,100+Sessions in the past 12 months
- 41 Paid & free directory members
Website traffic grew from around 12,700 sessions March 2023-2024 and just passed 19,100 in the year March 2024-2025. Direct traffic more than doubled, a strong signal that people are coming back, not just stumbling across us. Organic search sessions grew from roughly 6,950 to 8,000, reflecting genuine, sustained demand for hemp building information. Referral traffic jumped from 117 to 514 sessions, meaning more organisations are linking to us, citing us, and sending their audiences our way.
We gained 21 new newsletter subscribers in March 2026 alone. Typical months bring 20 or more, with spikes above 50 during events. We estimate we’ve actively engaged around 70% of the total addressable market in our region. That’s not a number we expected to reach this early.
What People Say
The Bit That Means the Most
Traffic and membership numbers tell part of the story. The messages we receive tell the rest.
Finding the Hemp Building Directory was fantastic. There is so much valuable information about building as well as connecting with suppliers and much more. It was great to chat with Jeremy at this early stage of planning to understand more about the next steps. We are excited about building our next home and it is great to speak with such enthusiastic, passionate people. Excellent start.
Mark Mandyn · Google Review
Being at the start of our Hempcrete house journey, we wanted to speak to Jeremy to find out where to go from here. Jeremy is a wealth of knowledge about all things hempcrete and provided some great advice about workshops, educators and options for building. Being in Queensland, Jeremy was able to tailor the advice to people and companies available in our location. Thanks very much for taking the time to share your advice and answer all the questions!
Sarah Hutchinson · Google Review
Mark and Sarah represent what HBD is really for — people at the beginning of something, trying to figure out where to start, and finding that the path is clearer than they expected. Every one of those conversations matters.
We started HBD because we believed hemp deserved a better platform in this part of the world. Three years later, the industry is finding its footing, the audience is growing, and more homes are being built with this remarkable material.
We’re just getting started.
Please Contribute
99% of this work is done in-kind. There are many ways to support us, but the easiest is to buy us a coffee. Every contribution helps…and knowing someone values our efforts gives us a real boost. Your support, no matter the size, means the world to us.
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