Otetto is the Australian pioneer in sustainable and liveable housing; offering unique solutions to the demand on architectural and construction industries for climate-conscious housing. Its founders, Amanda Marsh, Harrison Marsh and Chris Ball blend their experience in design and high-end residential construction to provide a product that supports both people and the planet, offering a regenerative path forward.
The architecture and construction industries face immense pressure to cut carbon and boost climate resistance in order to combat the impact of the built environment, which is responsible for nearly 40% of all global carbon emissions. As others scramble for alternatives, Otetto invites industry professionals and customers alike to consider hemp as a building material that redefines how homes are designed, constructed and experienced. Introducing their pre-fab, hemp building cassettes - Living Canvas® - they're paving the way for the future of environmentally friendly infrastructure that is both locally sourced and accessible.
Otetto are pioneering the use of hemp in the Australian design and construction industries, showcasing its accessibility and proving it deserves a place in the mainstream. Hemp has previously been identified as a revolutionary building material with the unexpected and powerful potential to redefine the notion of sustainable infrastructure. Global studies have found that hempcrete - a hemp-based construction material - retains more carbon than it emits during its production and installation, making it carbon negative over its lifetime.
Otetto's offering to the world of sustainable building materials is Living Canvas, a prefabricated hempcrete walling system. Created by Otetto's own team of designers and builders, headed by co-founder Harrison Marsh, the versatility of the system was critical to the team to ensure its practicality and appeal to the Australian architectural and construction industries. The accessibility of prefabricated materials mean it is now easier than ever to make the integration of sustainable, high-performing materials commonplace within Australia.
“In the past, hemp has been seen as niche. It’s either too labour intensive or too experimental for some builders. We wanted to remove those barriers and show what’s possible when you combine smart design with regenerative materials.” - Otetto Co-Founder Amanda Marsh
Aside from its inherent sustainability features, hemp is fast-growing, fire-resistant, insulates well and requires no synthetic inputs, allowing it to be a foundational material in healthy, efficient buildings. Amanda says it is not simply about hemp as a material, but its configurability as a critical aspect to its ability to support progress and change.
“It’s important to create a delivery system for it, something architects, builders and homeowners can actually use. The pre-fab approach allows for faster delivery, greater precision and less waste, without compromising on sustainability or design," - Otetto Co-Founder Amanda Marsh
Otetto’s Living Canvas Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) offer the benefits of in-situ hempcrete, combined with the added advantages of speed and efficiency. Constructed from locally-grown Australian hemp, the system includes wall, floor and roof cassettes, offering a complete building envelope that naturally regulates temperature and moisture. Additionally, the panels meet high bushfire performance ratings and standards, making them well-suited to use in rural settings.
The vision of the team at Otetto extends beyond normalising the use of hemp - they aim to totally transform what Australians think about homebuilding. The company has now launched their exciting and highly anticipated off-the-plan homes; Corymbia and Mulloway. Architecturally designed by award-winning architects SAHA and Elliot Marsh, the homes epitomise the innovation of Otetto, Living Canvas and hemp.
Australian-grown Otetto is revolutionising the architecture and construction industries, urging design professionals and consumers to rethink the applicability of hemp as a sustainable building material. As a naturally derived, carbon-negative, fire resistant and inherently insulated material, Otetto's Living Canvas hemp pre-fab cassettes are thrusting hemp into the mainstream and supporting the switch to eco-friendly infrastructure.
To learn more about Otetto’s innovative hemp-based architectural projects, visit their website. You'll be able to see more of their debut designs, Mulloway and Corymbia, which demonstrate the versatility and advantages of hemp in contemporary construction.
