“Every child deserves to learn in a classroom that feels warm, dry and healthy.”

For those of us who attended school in the 20th Century, it might be a surprise to read that this statement is not one dredged up from the last millennium, but in fact one posed by the team behind a new retrofit initiative.

Build With Hemp aims to demonstrate how bio-based insulation can play a role in addressing issues cold, damp and mould in schools during the winter, along with the reverse problems in the warmer months. The team has announced a scheme to deliver a targeted insulation upgrade to a UK school, supplying materials and installation at no cost up to £25,000. 

It has been shown that, along with poor sound insulation year-round, such conditions affect not only the performance of the building but those of students and staff alike. The chosen project will act as a case study, highlighting the potential of industrial hemp-based systems to improve building performance while supporting healthier internal environments.

Build With Hemp is inviting nominations from local authorities, architects, contractors and education estates teams for a suitable project. The selected building will undergo a monitored intervention, with findings shared more widely across the construction and education sectors.

Michael Walker, CEO of Build With Hemp, says the initiative is intended to demonstrate practical, scalable alternatives to conventional materials. “We believe healthier buildings should not be a luxury. If a classroom is cold, damp or acoustically poor, that has a direct impact on pupils and teachers. Through this project we want to make a tangible difference, while showing what is possible with modern, certified, bio-based construction materials.”

Hemp-based insulation systems have been used in parts of Europe for several decades, particularly in education and residential settings. Walker adds: “This material is already proven in large-scale projects across Europe and is well suited to public buildings such as schools, where durability, compliance and measurable performance are essential.”

As pressure grows to decarbonise existing buildings while improving user experience, the project offers a small-scale but practical test of how natural materials might be deployed more widely within the all-important education sector.

Nominations for the scheme opened on 11th March and close on 17th April, with the chosen project due to be announced at Futurebuild 2026 in May, where the company will also be exhibiting at stands F82 and G40.