Meeniyan Community Centre
Applying hempcrete systems in a regional civic building Meeniyan, Gippsland, Victoria
Meeniyan Community Centre
Applying hempcrete systems in a regional civic building
Meeniyan, Gippsland, Victoria
Supplied by: Respirabuilt
Design Partner: Public Realm Lab
Builder: TS Constructions
The Meeniyan Community Centre followed the completion of the Mildura Powerhouse. It brought hempcrete back into a civic setting, this time in a small regional town with a very different scale, pace, and pattern of use.
The project marked our second collaboration with Public Realm Lab and built on the construction experience gained at Mildura. Cast-in-place hempcrete remained part of the wall system, alongside the first commercial use of our Hempcrete Blocks, allowing the project to test how hempcrete could be delivered more efficiently within a commercial programme.
A building shaped by everyday use
The Community Centre sits at the centre of Meeniyan and is used daily for meetings, events, and local gatherings. It’s not a building people pass through occasionally. It’s booked, occupied, and lived in by the town.
Internally, hempcrete was used as feature walls within meeting rooms and shared community spaces. These rooms are the heart of the building and provide a direct experience of what it feels like to be inside a hemp building. The material is visible and tactile, giving people a clear, hands-on sense of what it’s like to be inside a building made from hemp.
Subtle detailing helped reinforce that presence. Small amounts of local clay were introduced to create red-oxide seam lines in the feature walls, adding depth and variation while remaining consistent with the building's material palette.
Delivered hempcrete more efficiently
One of the most noticeable changes on this project came through how the hempcrete was delivered on-site. Respira Blocks were introduced into a commercial build for the first time. By reducing reliance on traditional formwork and streamlining placement, the system shortened the hempcrete programme to around half the duration of the Mildura project.
That change had practical benefits on-site. TS constructions' build schedule became easier to manage, coordination across trades improved, and hempcrete began to sit more naturally within a commercial construction schedule. The project set a new baseline for how hempcrete work could be delivered as Respirabuilt evolved and rose to the challenge.
Boundary conditions and durability
The site presented conditions typical of small town centres. One elevation sits approximately a metre from the neighbouring building, bringing boundary conditions and fire considerations into focus. Hempcrete was used along this wall as a Fire Rated Wall to stop the spread of flame in the event of fire.
Durability was also tested internally in areas subject to regular use and wear. Hempcrete was used in the public toilets, where moisture, impact, and cleaning regimes are part of everyday operation. Standard waterproofing systems were paired with vinyl flooring and coved skirtings, allowing the hempcrete walls to integrate cleanly into a high-traffic, wet environment.
Taken together, these applications show how hempcrete can be detailed for public buildings such as schools, community buildings, and other public facilities where walls are touched, leaned on, cleaned, and used daily, across a range of conditions.
The site and its setting
The building is organised around a native garden, with the hempcrete forms wrapping and responding to the landscape. The garden softens the site and creates sheltered outdoor areas that extend the building's use throughout the day.
Its central location reinforces the building’s role as a civic anchor, providing Meeniyan with a space that supports community activities.
Project team
The project came together through close alignment between design intent and on-site delivery. Whilst careful sequencing across a compact site allowed the hempcrete installation to move efficiently within the broader programme. Construction was delivered by TS Constructions, with hempcrete works carried out by Hempcrete Victoria and Respirabuilt.
Recognition
The Meeniyan Community Centre received significant recognition at the ArchiTeam Awards in 2025, including the ArchiTeam Medal and the Community & Public Award.
Jurors highlighted the project’s careful response to site constraints, its integration of sustainable materials, and its ability to deliver lasting civic value within a modest budget. The building was recognised as a strong example of how small-town architecture can support everyday community life through considered design and construction.
Carrying the work forward
While Mildura established what cast-in-place hempcrete could achieve at a commercial scale, Meeniyan focused on applying those learnings. Installation moved faster. Coordination across trades was simpler. Commercial delivery became more manageable.
The first commercial use of RespiraBlocks played a central role in that outcome, halving installation time and slashing the length of the larger build schedule. Those results informed the next stage of Respirabuilt’s work and confirmed that hempcrete could be delivered reliably across public and commercial projects.
