What makes building design environmentally friendly?
Environmentally friendly building design reduces a home’s impact across its whole life: the energy it takes to run, the carbon in its materials and the waste created building it. In Melbourne, that starts with designing for our climate.
Orientation and passive solar design. Living areas face north, eaves are sized to let in the low winter sun and block the high summer sun, and thermal mass stores the warmth. Read more about passive solar design.
A high-performance building envelope. As certified Passive House designers and builders, we design airtight, well-insulated homes with high-performance glazing and heat recovery ventilation, so they stay comfortable all year with little heating or cooling.
Low-impact materials. We favour recycled, local and low-carbon materials, and measure the embodied carbon of every design with eTool.
Renewable energy. Right-sized solar and battery storage let homes generate more energy than they use.
Our approach to environmentally friendly design
Outlast a lifetime
We design and build homes to outlast a lifetime. Durable, environmentally friendly building design means fewer renovations, less waste, and homes that stay practical, beautiful and sustainable for generations.
WORKING WITH NATURE
Environmental responsibility informs every decision we make from our building materials to our building processes. This isn’t just about positively impacting the planet and increasing energy efficiency in our homes, it’s about connecting residents to nature, awakening their senses, and promoting a healthier, more balanced state of mind and wellbeing.
CREATING CONNECTION
We’re interested in creating homes and streetscapes that open people up to one another, that cultivate meaningful relationships while still allowing residents to find the solitude they need in their daily lives. Like the nests built by the Sociable Weaver, our homes foster a sense of belonging — connecting residents to their environment, their community and ultimately, to themselves.
EMBRACING BEAUTY
We believe beauty and the aesthetic world play a powerful role in igniting the human spirit and inspiring us to action. When created well, spaces should captivate and move us, maybe even change our heartbeat. That’s what we aspire to do – to create beautiful homes, upholding craftsmanship that stands the test of time.
Measuring our impact
Throughout the year, we reflect as a team on whether we exceeded, met, or fell short of our targets. This introspection guides our improvement efforts and holds us accountable to our team, to our clients and ultimately to the planet.
Every environmentally friendly building design we deliver is measured against a comprehensive eTool audit, and we’re accountable as a business through B Corp certification. Homeowners receive the reports, and we publish each project’s impact, plus a running total, on our website.
Planning an environmentally friendly build in Melbourne? Get in touch to talk about your site.
Over its lifespan, The Bungalow will emit 395 tCO₂e less than average or standard buildings providing the same functionality.
Credentials
