5 SUSTAINABLE RENOVATION TIPS

You’ve watched #waronwaste, you’ve been taking cloth bags to the supermarket forever, you’re eating less meat and eliminating single use plastics from your life. Us too! But if a house renovation or new build is on your agenda, sustainability in the built environment packs even more of a punch than daily habits.

We’re passionate about sustainability and reducing our environmental impact and we’re all about budget conscious decisions so here are our 5 renovation tips. Considered but easy ideas that can be incorporated into your design brief to an architect from the beginning (so they don’t end up being last minute band-aid solutions).
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For now we’re focusing on urban sites in cities but if you’re in a regional area on a larger site we’ve got you covered too, so get in touch.
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Image: External sunshading



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​TIP No.1

This is what architects excel at!  Creating pleasant and liveable spaces that respond to the sun, making sure they utilise the right orientation and window placement to maximise winter sunlight but block summer sun, while at the same time deal with all the other constraints urban living presents.

Our design process also focuses on improving the indoor environment quality (the health of your home), by incorporating natural light, natural ventilation, and thermal comfort.
All these passive design measures contribute to long term energy savings, so get the fundamentals right from the beginning by speaking to an expert.

Image: High level northern windows to provide winter sun deep into the living area and maintain privacy between neighbours. External sunshading for summer protection.

TIP No.2

If you’re wanting a smaller eco footprint – then build less. Easy. It will reduce your building costs, reduce materials, reduce waste and reduce the operational energy demands of the building.

Carefully consider each space and how they will be used. While we all can’t predict how our families interact as our kids grow up or how our needs change as we age, we can utilise spaces for dual functions. Don’t forget that your garden (with low water use landscaping of course) or a covered outdoor area is another room in the house. And hey, it’s ok for families to share a bathroom (with low water use fixtures and fittings of course)!

TIP No.3

This is a big one and probably obvious, but encompasses a lot of considerations. If the fundamentals are right, the energy loads can be mitigated. Your heating and cooling systems are a big consumer of energy in the home, so first we suggest centralising your energy source (ie. ditch your non-renewable gas and stick with electricity).

If your site has good orientation passive heating and cooling is achievable through good design. For more complex sites, air conditioning systems might be a solution that can be supported by solar panels. If you don’t have the upfront budget for solar panels they are an easy add on at a later stage.
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Solar hotwater units are a great option for Australian cities, while they have a high upfront cost, the running costs are a dream. We hate that every discussion about renewable technology focusses on the ‘payback period’ (no one seems to care about the payback period of purchasing a new car), but at least solar hotwater units do have a great payback period.
Items that have a minimal cost during construction can contribute to reduce energy demands over the life of the building, items such as sun shading over windows, improved insulation and considered building material selection.

​TIP No.4

Low cost and a great option to reduce the energy demands of heating and cooling – Insulation! It’s easy to improve regulatory insulation requirements in walls, floors, ceilings and roofs.  But more than wool batts, we love thermal mass and we love REVERSE brick veneer construction.

For a simplistic summary, if the build incorporates thermal mass (ie. concrete floors, brick walls) the internal heating generation and the suns warmth is absorbed into the floors/walls and released slowly through winter. While in summer spaces remain delightfully cool. This is an easy option if incorporated from the beginning.

Brick veneer construction (a common Australian residential building construction type) is a terrible idea for our climate. Flip it and reverse it!
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TIP No.5

We have a love/hate relationship with social media. Yes, the great interior pictures of instagram are inspiring but the great pictures are usually ‘on trend’ and unfortunately, interior trends fade quickly.

We’re strong believers in the ‘longevity of design’ and focus on choosing complimentary elements and highlights of natural materials that add warmth and texture to your home, rather than following fads.

​To really help the planet, consider reusing existing onsite materials or investigate recycled materials.
Image: Internal staircase built from Australian timbers