Why This Workshop Exists
Hemp-lime is one of the oldest, most breathable, and most carbon-negative building materials on the planet. It regulates humidity, resists fire and pests, and bonds naturally with stone and brick without cement. It is also nearly forgotten.
Hemp Slap Workshop 2.0 is a three-day, fully residential, hands-on workshop where you do not just learn about it; you understand it, you cast it into blocks, and you plaster it onto a real wall. In an old family home in the Chola hills above Dharamshala. With your own hands.
By the end of Day 3, you will have mixed hemp-lime by hand, cast actual hempcrete blocks, and applied plaster to a real wall under the guidance of a master plasterer with a working understanding of why every step matters.
Three Days. One Building. Three Skills.
Day 0
Evening, October 1
Arrive, settle in, meet the group over dinner. No programme. Just a warm start before three days of good work.
Day 1
October 2: Theory + Mix Making
The foundations. We cover the science of hempcrete and hemp-lime plaster like what lime does, how hemp hurd behaves, why the ratios matter. Then you make the mixes yourself: different batches, different ratios, side by side. You learn to assess consistency by hand before anything goes near a wall.
Day 2
October 3: Hempcrete Blocks
Full day hands-on. Formwork setup, casting, tamping, observing set. Every participant casts actual hempcrete blocks and understands what makes a good block vs a bad one.
Day 3
October 4: Hemp Plastering + Closing
Application of the hemp-lime plaster on the actual wall of the house as scratch coat in the morning, float coat in the afternoon. Participants rotate in to apply under guidance. Followed by final discussions, Q&A, certificate distribution, and closing ceremony.
The Venue
The workshop takes place at an old family house in Chola, a quiet village near Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh away from the tourist circuit, inside a real working structure with the kind of walls that actually need this work.
You will not be in a classroom or a training facility. You will be in someone's home, learning a craft that could restore it, with the Dhauladhars visible on the horizon.
Accommodation (for those who choose it) and all meals are arranged locally and included in your registration.
Is This For You?
This workshop is for you if you are:
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An architecture, design, or civil engineering student wanting hands-on exposure to natural building
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A builder, contractor, or craftsperson curious about low-carbon alternatives to cement
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Someone working in sustainability, ecology, or rural development who wants a practical material skill
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A traveller or creative person who wants to make something real with your hands
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Anyone interested in hemp as a building material
No Prior Experience Needed
Team
Haneesh Katnawer - Lead Trainer
9 years in the hemp industry · Production Engineer
Built India's 1st hemp bamboo hut · National Startup Award winner
Anita Devi - Craft Demonstrator
MA (History) · 10 years in traditional crafts and artisanry
Maya Kalsi - Co-host and Workshop Manager
Background in acting, cinema, and world travel
Welcoming you into her childhood home in Dharamshala
Simon Funkel - Co-host & Creative Director
DJ, music producer, and creative storyteller
Background in travel, volunteer and building projects
Choose Your Option
Without Accommodation
✓ ₹7,900 per person
✓ Three days of training and instruction
✓ All meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea breaks
✓ All materials - hemp hurd, lime, tools, PPE
✓ Certificate of completion
✗ Accommodation not included - arrange your own stay nearby
✓ Bring your own tent and you can pitch it on hosts' land
Double Occupancy Room
✓ ₹9,900 per person
✓ Three days of training and instruction
✓ All meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea breaks
✓ All materials - hemp hurd, lime, tools, PPE
✓ Certificate of completion
✓ Three nights shared accommodation (Oct 1, 2, and 3)
Single Occupancy Room
✓ ₹11,900 per person
✓ Three days of training and instruction
✓ All meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea breaks
✓ All materials - hemp hurd, lime, tools, PPE
✓ Certificate of completion
✓ Three nights private room (Oct 1, 2 and 3)
Note: Accommodation covers arrival night (October 1) to Day 2 workshop night (October 3). Participants departing on Day 3 (October 4) after the closing session in the evening.
Registration Form
Frequently asked questions
Still Have Questions?
Write to us at himalayanhemporg@gmail.com and we will get back to you within 24 hours.