13th International Hemp Building Symposium

Steve Allin

IHBA Director

Steve Allin is a pioneer in hemp construction and the founder and Director of the International Hemp Building Association. He has been building with hemp and promoting its benefits around the world since the 1990s. Steve wrote Building with Hemp (2005), the first book on the subject. He has taught hemp building through hands-on courses in many countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia helping introduce this natural building method to new places often where the system had never been used before and has also initiated many businesses and projects around the world. He recently launched a new company Stems Logic Ltd which offers custom tailored solutions to producing and processing Hemp materials both for the Construction industry and high value fibre markets.

Dr. Susanne Bartholomé

Structural Engineer Turned Hemp Construction Innovator

Susanne Bartholomé is a civil engineer and specialist in structural and bridge design who has transitioned into the field of sustainable building with hemp and earth materials. With over a decade of experience in steel structures, carbon-reinforced composites, and FEM-based design validation, she brings a rigorous engineering perspective to the development of natural construction systems.

Bartholomé holds a PhD in civil engineering from BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and has published extensively on the reinforcement of steel structures with carbon-fibre laminates. Today, she combines deep technical expertise with a passion for ecological innovation. Her mission: to make engineering a driving force for regenerative, regional, and resource-smart construction.

Since 2023, Bartholomé has also served on the board of Hanffaser Geiseltal eG, where she leads research and development and fosters collaboration between cooperatives, universities, and industry partners. Her current focus lies on hemp-lime (Hanfkalk), hemp-clay, and the revival of clay construction as a circular, climate-positive alternative in structural design.

As co-initiator of the interdisciplinary research group NWG BioRohstoffe at Hochschule Merseburg, she plays a key role in advancing applied research on hemp-based building materials, bridging civil engineering with agricultural innovation and regional transformation strategies.

Damien Baumer

Owner and Founder at Ereasy

In 2009, Damien Baumer, a mason by trade, conceived the idea of an interlocking block that could easily be accepted by masons in France. The block was a solution to the problems of thermal bridging, and allowed for a reinforced concrete structure to be cast within it.
With help from his father – who had experience with steel fabrication from his trade as a car body builder – Damien made a mould for the block and then turned his home into a factory producing the new blocks, which was undertaken with the help of his wife Celine and their willing children, making up to fifteen blocks a day. At the same he filed a patent for the block design.
In 2012, the Vicat group came on-board with the idea. This began a collaboration that has resulted in Damien shepherding the further development of the block system, named Biosys® and controlling manufacture until the commercialisation of the system is complete
In 2015 while working on an old farmhouse he began developing a spray application system including a new type of binder and a very fast spray system. The material applied provides a high level of insulation and faster drying time than other products.
Now called the EREASY® system it is used on projects all over Europe and the USA. Damien continues to improve the system with remote control equipment and spray lance design.

Pamela Bosch

Owner and Founder at Highland Hemp House

Pamela Bosch is the builder and resident of the Highland Hemp House.  “Identifying as a Grandmother, artist, dancer, dreamer . . . , I have had the privilege of having a great deal of agency in building this house. Contributing to my agency have been many collaborations and inquiries, much talking and sharing, and material security.  Now that I am enjoying this intentionally created space, my job is to tell the story and to inspire.”  

Stephen Clarke

Heavengrown

Stephen Clarke is a sustainable construction advocate with a background in renewable energy systems and he is a co-founder of Heavengrown in Mexico. His work focuses on practical applications of natural fibers like hemp, bamboo, sugarcane and coconut in building materials. He has contributed to several notable projects, including some of the first commercial buildings using these materials in North America. Currently, he’s exploring industrial uses of plant fibers for more sustainable material solutions. 

Danny Desjarlais

Industrial Hemp Construction Project Manager

Danny Desjarlais is the Industrial Hemp Construction Project Manager at the Lower Sioux Indian Community, a small reservation near Morton, Minnesota. As an enrolled member of the tribe, Danny has dedicated his efforts to rebuilding his community with healthier alternative building materials that will benefit future generations. He has successfully promoted the recent expansion of hemp building activities at the Lower Sioux Indian Community reservation and is recognised across the United States as a leading advocate for the use of hemp building materials and social housing.

Guillame Delannoy

Guillaume Delannoy is Study Manager at FRD-CODEM, a french technical center dedicated to the development of biobased materials. He joined FRD-CODEM in 2019 after his PhD on the ageing of hempcrete. For years FRD-CODEM is invested on hempcrete by the development hemp hurds specifications and characterization tools, or R&D programs (end-of-life scenario, recognition of hygrothermal properties, external insulation or earth-hemp production), but also study for the development of hemp production area and decortication process. Guillaume is also vice-president of Construire en Chanvre, in charge of scientific aspects.

Daniel Daviller

Chaux Saint-Astier, France.

Daniel Daviller has worked in many companies connected with construction including Lhoist and Saint Gobain and for the last three years he has been with Saint Astier helping them to develop their marketing of new hempcrete binder Batichanvre+. He is a consultant working on a project to bring French Hemp construction practices to California with the Indigenous Habitat Initiative (IHI) .

Liam Donohoe

Technological University Dublin. Consultant, speaker and educator.

Liam Donohoe is a lecturer in Engineering at Technological University Dublin, where he earned a Master’s degree in Energy Management. As a PhD Fiosraigh Scholar at TU Dublin’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, he is researching the development of an international standard rating methodology for the dynamic energy performance of hempcrete. A specialist in building energy certification and no- and low-carbon product, standards and systems development, Donohoe founded Black Mountain Insulation Ltd., a global leader in natural insulation materials. He is a director at the International Hemp Building Association (IHBA) and at UK Hempcrete (UKH) where he is Chief Operations Officer.

Felix Drewes

Hemp Construction Expert & Network Developer

Felix Drewes is a sustainability specialist and advocate for regenerative agriculture and hemp-based construction. He co-founded the Hanfbaukollektiv in 2018 and currently leads construction initiatives at the Nutzhanf Netzwerk e.V., where he also serves as Vice President. As project lead at Klimapraxis gUG, collaborator at Hanfingenieur, and PhD researcher at Hochschule Merseburg, he focuses on regional value chains, carbon-negative materials from hemp, and the transformation of rural economies through bioeconomy strategies.

His research is embedded in the Nachwuchsforschungsgruppe BioRohstoffe – Wertschöpfung durch Hanf, Germany’s first interdisciplinary research group dedicated to industrial hemp, exploring the topic across agriculture, materials science, regional development, and acceptance research.

With a background in climate change adaptation (MSc, Centre for Alternative Technology / University of East London) and a thesis on sustainable earthquake resilience in Nepal, Drewes combines strategic consultancy, fieldwork, and public engagement. His mission: advancing circular, bio-based construction through collaboration, decentralisation, and innovation.

Eric Earnest

Chief Operating Officer, IND HEMP

Eric Earnest is a Montana-based executive with 20+ years of experience leading teams and scaling operations in agriculture, energy, and utilities. He’s helped grow startups, expand infrastructure, and boost manufacturing output—most recently as COO at IND Hemp. Eric’s known for building strong teams, improving systems, and driving results. He earned his MBA from the University of Denver and brings a practical, entrepreneurial approach to leadership and innovation.

Simona Fischer, AIA, CPHC

Director of Sustainable Practice, MSR Design

Simona is a registered architect and director of sustainable practice with MSR Design, an integrated architecture and interior design firm. She develops processes to integrate sustainable design into architecture delivery, specializing in the intersection of natural building materials, designing with reclaimed materials, high-performance envelope assemblies, and energy performance. She teaches a net zero design studio at the University of Minnesota and co-chairs on the AIA Materials Pledge Working Group and Minnesota Carbon Leadership Forum. Simona was a recipient of the AIA National 2023 Young Architects Award.

Gabriel Gauthier

Artcan

Inspired by the urgent need for sustainable building, Gabriel Gauthier discovered hempcrete. This ancient yet revolutionary material transformed his vision for construction. In 1995, he began exploring hemp’s agro-economic potential, spending three years in France and Switzerland to master and modernize ancestral techniques. He founded Artcan with a mission to create authentic living spaces that reconnect modernity with nature. Artcan aims to improve well-being, relationships, and environmental footprint, one home at a time.

Special Guest

Dallas Goldtooth

Dallas Goldtooth, will MC the charity auction after the symposium dinner.

Dallas Goldtooth is a father, writer, actor, playwright, film producer, comedian, and organizer. He is Mdewakanton Dakota and Dine from the Lower Sioux Indian Community. He was a writer on the hit series FX’s Reservation Dogs and has performed on FX, NBC’s Peacock, Comedy Central and the BBC. He is the co-creator of Indigenous comedy group The 1491s, and worked as an international climate justice organizer against fossil fuels.

April Hatch, RN, MSN

Cannabis Care Team

April is a registered nurse with 20 years of experience, during which she has observed a troubling rise in diseases linked to environmental and food toxins, along with a steady decline in overall quality of life. She holds a Master’s in Public Health Nursing and is currently on the path to becoming a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Rooted in a deep love for people, plants, and the planet, April brings over eight years of experience providing cannabis education to patients, retail staff, and students enrolled in Cannabis Pharmacology at Saint Louis University. With a passion for nature-based medicine and heart-centered advocacy, she works tirelessly to spread science among the healthcare and hemp communities.

Anndrea Hermann M.Sc, B.Gs, P.Ag
Director, HPS Food & Ingredients

Anndrea Hermann is recognised and revered as a dedicated hemp ambassador of the highest calibre, with over 23 years of experience advising the global hemp industry. She earned her Bachelor’s in Hemp Ecolonomics (2002) and her Master’s in Plant Science, specialising in Hemp Fibre Agronomy (2008). Anndrea is President Emeritus and the longest-standing board member of the Hemp Industries Association, and Vice President Emeritus of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance. In 2021, she co-founded the rural non-profit Gerhard E. Dekker Regenerative Education Center, focused on nature-based education, and she also serves as a Scouts Canada leader. Her many accolades include the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance Business Builders Award (2009), induction into the Hemp History Hall of Fame (2017), the HIA Lifetime Achievement Award (2018), and the WAFBA Lady of Agriculture Award (2023). Anndrea is also the author of Everybody Loves Trallala, a children’s book about a little hempseeds journey. She continues to support the hemp sector while helping facilitate knowledge in the next generation.

Anna Koosmann AIA, CPHC

Phius Certified Passive House Consultant

Anna L. Koosmann is an award-winning citizen architect, educator, researcher, and Phius Certified Passive House Consultant. With a hands-on, participatory approach, she has worked alongside communities from the Philippines—where her design-build leadership and Fulbright research elevated bamboo from a “poor man’s” material to a resilient building resource, earning an Environmental Design Research Award—to the Upper Midwest, advancing net-zero housing along with sustainable and natural building design. As a Phius Alliance Minnesota Board Member, she champions climate-responsive, inclusive solutions that empower communities and foster resilience.

Dr Eshrar Latif

Dr Eshrar Latif is an Associate Professor at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, UK. His PhD focused on the hygrothermal performance of hemp-based insulation materials. He has contributed to key research and consultancy projects including the HEMPSEC project on prefabricated hemp-lime panels, the Hemp-Lime Building Monitoring Project, and the Hemp-Wool Bio-Envelope Project. Dr Latif publishes widely on the performance of hemp-lime and other bio-based materials in construction. A Certified Passive House Designer and LEED Green Associate, he is co-author of Thermal Insulation Materials for Building Applications, advancing evidence-based approaches to low-impact, durable building solutions.

Micaela Machado

While earning her Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture, Micaela developed a passion for preserving and honoring the culture and landscape in the Desert. 

As a designer, it became important to find solutions that can connect people to nature and have positive impacts on our well-being and on the environment.

As a longtime Cannabis Advocate, Hemp became the natural solution for sustainable design and construction in Arizona where Micaela is a licensed General Contractor.

She is the owner of Old Pueblo Hemp Co, in Tucson, AZ which specializes in Hemp Block Construction.

Old Pueblo Hemp Co has developed their own Hemp block press and have recently completed a 16,300 block order for The Cooper Center for Environmental Learning in Tucson, AZ. These blocks will insulate existing sleeping cabins from the exterior and give the kids a Non-Toxic, Comfortable, Beautiful Healing space all while learning about the Sonoran Desert and the Power of Hemp.

Cameron McIntosh

Americhanvre

Cameron is the founder of Americhanvre along with his wife and partner, Melissa.  Based in Allentown, PA, Americhanvre are the exclusive licensees of the Baumer Ereasy Spray Applied Hempcrete System and have worked to deploy the Ereasy system in the United States.  Since 2019, Americhanvre has installed hempcrete on nearly fifty different residential and commercial residential projects and have trained and equipped fourteen unique Ereasy system owner operators, including the Lower Sioux Indian Communities Industrial Hemp Construction team led by Danny Desjarlais.  Cameron also participated in the writing of the IRC Appendix BL for hempcrete construction and is also a member of the board of directors for both the National Hemp Association and PA Hemp Industry Council.

Antoine Moussié

La Chanvrière

Antoine Moussié is the CEO of La Chanvrière, a French agricultural cooperative and Europe’s largest hemp producer and processor, founded in 1973. It cultivates hemp for industrial uses and produces a wide range of hemp-based products, including Aubiose animal bedding and other products for animal care, garden mulch, building materials like insulation, paper, and textiles. The company also supplies hemp seeds and oil for human consumption and operates under the agricultural cooperative model, with approximately 700 farmer members growing hemp in France’s Champagne district.

Janneke Schaap, Assoc. AIA

Sustainability Lead | Designer, Oertel Architects, Ltd.

Janneke Schaap is a designer and healthy materials advocate who has built a career on where architecture, performance and environment intersect. She is a passive building designer and sustainability consultant, relentlessly focused on solving the built environment’s role in climate change. Recently, Janneke proudly spearheaded efforts leading to Minnesota being the first state in the USA to adopt both the Strawbale and Hempcrete building code appendices, removing barriers and improving access to bio-based design and construction.

Laura Schramm

Laura Schramm is a Master’s student in Green Building Engineering at BOKU University in Vienna and a Structural Design Technician, specialising in detailed execution planning for vertical extensions of historic residential buildings. She currently works as a design engineer at Obenauf in Vienna, Austria. Previously, she worked as a technical project support for Nafz Holzhaus in Germany.

Alex Sparrow

UK Hempcrete

Alex Sparrow is the founder and CEO of UK Hempcrete. He is recognised globally as one of the leading experts in the use of hempcrete and other bio-based construction products. He co-authored The Hempcrete Book: Designing and Building with Hemp-Lime (2014), which is widely acknowledged as the definitive guide to this remarkable building material.
Alex sits on the board of the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products in the UK, speaks internationally on hempcrete, and chairs the board at YorSpace (York’s Community Land Trust), as well as providing specialist bio-based architectural design, building performance modelling, and consultancy services with a global reach, to promote the use of hempcrete and bio-based construction materials. 

Ian Svilokos

Architect, PIE

Ian Svilokos is a licensed architect, fabricator, and founder at the collaborative PIE – a research-based architecture, design and fabrication studio. While earning his Bachelor of Design in Architecture from the University of Florida, and his Masters in Architecture from Yale University, Ian spent time building single-family homes across the northeast. Upon completion of his Masters, he relocated to Bali, Indonesia to develop and design hyper-regional resorts with Karma Royal Group traveling to multiple properties across the globe.

He has been based in Los Angeles for a decade now, where he has led award-winning, multi-family and institutional projects including Pittsburgh’s MuseumLab with KoningEizenberg Architecture, and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi with Frank O. Gehry Partners. He finds inspiration in working with various mediums to help projects find their greatest potential. Whether metal, earth, wood, or plant, his pursuits in design are informed by the unique opportunities each material presents. Ian uses his personal history and diverse knowledge base to find and design experiences unique to each project.

Alexandros Tsamis

Associate Professor in Architecture. Associate Director, CASE.
Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology. Graduate Program Director, Built Ecologies. MS & PhD

Alexandros Tsamis is a tenured associate professor at RPI’s School of Architecture and Graduate Program Director of the Built Ecologies MS & Ph.D. program. He also serves as Associate Director of CASE. He holds a Ph.D. in Architecture, Design and Computation, and an MS in Design and Building Technology from MIT. With an area of expertise in Building decarbonization, Prof. Tsamis has authored 48 peer-reviewed publications. His work appears in ASHRAE, IBPSA, Building Simulation, CAAD Futures, and ACSA. His research has led to five patent applications—two granted, two at the PCT stage, and one provisional. He has served as Principal Investigator and Co-PI on Department of Energy-funded projects. since 2022 he is a member of the NYS fiber and grains committee.  Tsamis is CEO of FibreWerks, Inc., an RPI spinout focused on commercializing construction technologies using industrial natural fiber.

Greg Wilson

HempWood founder and CEO

HempWood founder and CEO Greg Wilson developed HempWood out of a desire to create a healthier material based on natural ingredients, driven by his experience in the bamboo flooring industry in China. Greg experienced respiratory issues from formaldehyde exposure after his time working in bamboo flooring mills and set out to create a material that was free of formaldehyde but performed like other hardwoods. The answer was HempWood, which uses the strong, fibrous structure of industrial hemp and the bonding power of a soy-based glue to create a strong, high-performance flooring product. 

Dr. Arta Yazdanseta

Doctor of Design, LEED, Associate AIA, Assistant Professor of Technology
School of Architecture, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Dr. Arta Yazdanseta is an Assistant Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s School of Architecture. Her research focuses on carbon-smart, bio-aggregate materials such as hemp-lime, with an emphasis on material circularity, low-carbon envelopes, and design for disassembly. She holds a Doctor of Design from Harvard GSD and brings over a decade of academic and professional experience. As co-PI on a DOE HeRS project, she collaborates with industry leaders to prototype scalable building systems. Her recent Brown Fellowship fieldwork across Europe documents aging hemp-lime structures and resident experience to inform construction industry stakeholders.