HG living
118 | AUSTRALIAN HOUSE &GARDEN
PEEK GREEN
Step inside the homes open for Sustainable House Day for a glimpse
into how good eco-friendly living can be, writesSarah Pickette.W
hen it comes to other people’s houses, everyone loves a bit of a
stickybeak or the opportunity to chat with the owners about how
their homes look, feel and perform. And that’s the appeal of
Sustainable House Day, which takes place this year on Sunday, September15.
“It’s a chance for anyone interested in improving the sustainability and
liveability of their own home to see how others have made improvements
and to ask them for their honest take on what’s worked and what’s worth
the money,” says Donna Luckman, CEO of the Alternative Technology
Association, the not-for-profit body that organises Sustainable House Day.
About 250homes across Australia will open their doors to interested
members of the public, offering a rare view into homes designed, built or
renovated with energy efficiency and the environment in mind. Among the
line-up, you’ll find straw-bale houses, homes that incorporate electric-
vehicle chargers, impressive photovoltaic set-ups with battery storage,
sustainable gardens and tiny houses.
“One of the things we’ve learnt from surveying visitors in past years is
that they’re hungry for tips on how to reduce their energy bills and improve
the comfort of their home,” says Luckman. “They want to know if, for
example, battery storage or double glazing is worth the expense.”
This year will see more passivhaus properties open for tours than ever
before. Developed in Germany, the passivhaus concept utilises insulation,
glazing and airtightness to achieve an incredibly energy-efficient home.
Some passivhaus homes use just10 per cent of the energy of a similarlysized, traditionally built home. “The idea isn’t new, but it’s gaining
momentum in Australia and we’re seeing more designers becoming
passivhaus certified,” she says.
Solar is always of interest, adds Luckman, as is the idea of utilising
panels to charge an electric vehicle. “More than two million Australian
households now have rooftop solar panels. It goes to show that people
want to make their homes more sustainable.”
Luckman says some of her favourite houses are those that are new to
participating in Sustainable House Day. “I love the homes that are open
because someone attended a Sustainable House Day, took some advice
onboard and went off and built their own sustainable home. By opening
their own home up, they’re giving back. That makes me so happy.”#
To see the Sustainable House Day open homes near you, or to register to attend,
visitsustainablehouseday.com.The green house
‘[PEOPLE] ARE HUNGRY FOR TIPS ON HOW TO REDUCE THEIR
ENERGY BILLSAND IMPROVE THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOME.’
Donna Luckman, CEO, Alternative Technology AssociationPRIZE BUILD
We always knew it was a winner, but now
H&G’s My Ideal House project has picked
up a sustainable architecture award at the
NSW Architecture Awards. Sydney architect
Madeleine Blanchfield drew up the winning
entry in the My Ideal House design
competition and her vision was expertly
realised by Mirvac in south-west Sydney.
The house is modular, flexible and
supremely liveable; Blanchfield designed
it so the house can always be oriented
northwards and it’s constructed from
thermally efficient Hebel panels and
Viridian high-performance glass. “This
award is very special to us because it’s a
way we can improve the quality of housing
for more than just a few,” says Blanchfield. Photography by Maree Homer & Nic Gossage.