Hemp Homes Sprout in Shadow of Former Alcoa Smelter

Rockdale’s industrial comeback is taking an earthy turn.

The small Central Texas city, once defined by Alcoa Corporation’s hulking aluminum smelter, is set to become a proving ground for hemp-derived housing. Taylor-based E3 Agriculture plans to build up to seven homes using crop-based construction materials as part of a 14-home development along Main Street, the Austin Business Journal reported.

The project is a partnership with Liberty3D and will mark E3’s first full-scale homebuilding. While the company has supplied materials to local efforts such as Community First Village, founder and CEO Lucas Evans said this is the first time it will take the reins on delivering an entire home.

“We’re wanting to take it on ourselves to do a production home that would be affordable, simple and efficient to build,” Evans told the outlet.

Up to 80 percent of each house’s materials are expected to come from E3’s hemp crops. Insulation, drywall and other components will be plant-based, with the exception of roofs, foundations and interior studs. Two homes are already underway and are slated for completion this fall, with prices capped at $320,000. E3 may develop as many as five additional lots, according to the publication.

Rockdale has a population 5,637 as of 2024 Census estimates, and sits between Austin and College Station. The former Alcoa site is being repositioned as a 33,000-acre, multi-company campus that already hosts bitcoin mining operations due to its proximity to large transmission infrastructure. Liberty3D CEO Jason Jones said interest in the area has “blown up” over the past two years.

As Austin-area builders search for ways to rein in costs, Evans said hemp could become a viable alternative. Initial construction costs in Rockdale will likely mirror those of conventional builds, he said, but pairing sustainable materials with 3D printing technology could eventually “dramatically bring down the cost of raw materials.”

There are performance perks, too. Hemp-based materials are naturally fire-resistant and carbon-conscious, a selling point as insurers and municipalities scrutinize climate risk, according to Evans.

E3 is already eyeing expansion, with multifamily hemp projects in the works in Austin and San Antonio.

— Eric Weilbacher