Eco Living
Sustainable Homes
Sustainable Design 2023: What's New and Where's it Heading Next?
Sustainability is fast becoming the strongest design direction of 2023 – here are the green products you need to know
Many of us are starting to think seriously about how we can design and live in our homes in a way that’s kinder to the environment. From choosing eco-friendly materials to incorporating passive design features that minimise our home’s running costs and make it more pleasant to be in, there’s a growing awareness that what’s good for the planet is also good for our pockets and sense of wellbeing.
Read on to discover the sustainable features renovators and home builders want today, and to meet some exciting new earth-friendly products and materials you may want to incorporate into your upcoming project.
Read on to discover the sustainable features renovators and home builders want today, and to meet some exciting new earth-friendly products and materials you may want to incorporate into your upcoming project.
“Just as we are starting to make more considered choices about the star rating of our appliances, the source of our food, where our clothes are manufactured and the embedded and running energy of our cars, so too is choice about how we build and live in our home [becoming more sustainable] – how it is constructed and how efficiently it operates, not just because we are cognisant of the running costs but because our collective social conscience is growing,” says Hermon.
Searching for an architect who specialises in sustainable design? Find one here, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
Searching for an architect who specialises in sustainable design? Find one here, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
So what are eco-aware renovators and those building a home focused on these days?
Sewall says:
Sewall says:
- Electrifying buildings: With the cost of natural gas rising, people are even more motivated to get off gas and onto an all-electric system.
- Renewables: [Among our clientele] we are seeing a lot of interest in installing solar as a way to reduce operational energy demands and ongoing running costs.
- Robust, low-maintenance materials: A well-designed building shouldn’t require a lot of ongoing maintenance. Our clients are drawn to materials that are beautiful, durable and that will stand the test of time without needing to be replaced or repainted regularly, such as recycled brick and Class 1 timber [which has the highest level of natural durability].
And the following earth- and energy-saving features are becoming increasingly commonplace, says Sewall:
- Connecting to 100 percent-certified GreenPower. “It’s easy to do and can make a huge difference to your home’s operational footprint, for little additional cost,” she says.
- Biodiversity. “We are working with our landscape architects and clients to specify native, drought-tolerant species that support local birds, bees and butterflies,” she says.
- A kill switch. “This switch is located at your front door and turns off all the lights in your home at once, so if you’re rushing out the door you can still make sure you don’t waste power by leaving any lights on,” she says.
As for new products and materials this earth-aware practice is excited about using in its projects, Sewall points to the following:
- SaveBOARD, a low-carbon building material made from recycled packaging, including hard-to-recycle Tetra Paks, which can be used as wall linings, ceiling linings and substrates.
- Locally made terrazzo featuring recycled brick, rubble, bluestone and marble-chip offcuts, which the firm frequently uses in wet areas and benchtops.
Meanwhile, Hermon has noticed the following products gaining attention among eco-conscious builders.
- Bondor InsulLiving insulated wall and roof panels, which help achieve thermal comfort in the home, and can reduce energy usage by up to 50 percent.
- Dulux envirO2 low-VOC paint, which is very low in potentially harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and emissions, which can help create a healthier indoor environment while being kinder on the environment.
Robbie Neville, founder of Revival Projects.
Swipe to reduce and recycle
Revival Cooperative is a new app that allows you to list and source products such as unwanted timber offcuts, old windows, furniture and lighting so they don’t end up in landfill. And it’s all free – from downloading the app to the products themselves. “It’s a community-led solution to help win the war on waste,” says founder Robbie Neville.
Simply list the items you no longer need or scroll through to find a particular item you’re looking for. “It’s a great spot to look for small quantities of materials that have been over-ordered or are being removed [from a home] – it’s a game changer,” says Sewall.
Swipe to reduce and recycle
Revival Cooperative is a new app that allows you to list and source products such as unwanted timber offcuts, old windows, furniture and lighting so they don’t end up in landfill. And it’s all free – from downloading the app to the products themselves. “It’s a community-led solution to help win the war on waste,” says founder Robbie Neville.
Simply list the items you no longer need or scroll through to find a particular item you’re looking for. “It’s a great spot to look for small quantities of materials that have been over-ordered or are being removed [from a home] – it’s a game changer,” says Sewall.
Smart wood
With the demand for sustainable timber rising, Australian firm 3RT has developed an innovative technology where they convert low-value, sustainably sourced juvenile plantation logs into premium hardwoods with the look, feel and properties of 100-year old trees.
The fully recyclable, toxin-free engineered timber product, which comes in different colours including oak, blackbutt and white gum, can be used for furniture, flooring, stairs, external cladding, interior wall panelling and more – all without harming precious native forests.
With the demand for sustainable timber rising, Australian firm 3RT has developed an innovative technology where they convert low-value, sustainably sourced juvenile plantation logs into premium hardwoods with the look, feel and properties of 100-year old trees.
The fully recyclable, toxin-free engineered timber product, which comes in different colours including oak, blackbutt and white gum, can be used for furniture, flooring, stairs, external cladding, interior wall panelling and more – all without harming precious native forests.
Brickworks’ Civic Series of carbon-neutral bricks.
Carbon-neutral bricks
Establish your eco credentials from the ground up by building with carbon-neutral bricks. Brickworks Building Products’ Daniel Robertson bricks, including their Civic series, have been certified as carbon neutral under the Australian Government’s National Carbon Offset Standard Carbon Neutral Program.
Daniel Robertson achieved the certification by replacing traditional fossil fuels with biofuel as the primary firing fuel at their plant in Longford, Tasmania, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process.
The Civic Series clay bricks come in a standard size with two profiles: a straight-edge brick for a crisp, modern look; and a rustic profile with a weathered finish that suits traditional homes.
Carbon-neutral bricks
Establish your eco credentials from the ground up by building with carbon-neutral bricks. Brickworks Building Products’ Daniel Robertson bricks, including their Civic series, have been certified as carbon neutral under the Australian Government’s National Carbon Offset Standard Carbon Neutral Program.
Daniel Robertson achieved the certification by replacing traditional fossil fuels with biofuel as the primary firing fuel at their plant in Longford, Tasmania, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process.
The Civic Series clay bricks come in a standard size with two profiles: a straight-edge brick for a crisp, modern look; and a rustic profile with a weathered finish that suits traditional homes.
Eco-aware paint
Circle Paints in Marrickville, NSW, sells surplus Dulux interior and exterior paint from trade painters direct to homeowners. Shop here and not only will you prevent leftover paint from winding up in landfill, but you’ll enjoy savings of up to 60 percent off retail prices.
“Millions of litres of fresh paint are sent to landfill in Australia every year because there has been no system to connect this paint with people who want it,” says Jocelyn Bell, managing director at Circle Paints. “Australia’s Paintback scheme, launched in 2016, announced an intention to promote paint reuse. However eight years later, Paintback has not established a reuse scheme, so we have stepped into the breach.”
The website makes it easy to find the paint colour and finish you want; you can filter search results by paint type, gloss level, colour and quantity, as well as search for specific Dulux colours. The company can also provide custom colours upon request.
Circle Paints in Marrickville, NSW, sells surplus Dulux interior and exterior paint from trade painters direct to homeowners. Shop here and not only will you prevent leftover paint from winding up in landfill, but you’ll enjoy savings of up to 60 percent off retail prices.
“Millions of litres of fresh paint are sent to landfill in Australia every year because there has been no system to connect this paint with people who want it,” says Jocelyn Bell, managing director at Circle Paints. “Australia’s Paintback scheme, launched in 2016, announced an intention to promote paint reuse. However eight years later, Paintback has not established a reuse scheme, so we have stepped into the breach.”
The website makes it easy to find the paint colour and finish you want; you can filter search results by paint type, gloss level, colour and quantity, as well as search for specific Dulux colours. The company can also provide custom colours upon request.
Decor + Design, a major annual design exhibition for industry professionals, will be putting the spotlight on eco-friendly design this July with a special ‘Green Design Hub’. Some standout exhibitors worth making a note of for your upcoming renovation or decorative redesign include the following:
- TRAKS: This recycling programme is a collaboration between Textile Recyclers Australia (TRA) and Karie Soehardi (KS) from Circular Design Thinking. For a small fee, TRAKS will collect your unwanted rugs and send them to their recycling depots in Victoria and NSW to be cleaned, shredded and respun into new yarn.
Cultivated: Designer furniture retailer Cult has recently launched Cultivated, an in-house sustainability program that will buy back, refurbish and recycle your designer furniture and lighting.
From a single lounge chair in need of reupholstering to a dining table or pendant that’s seen better days, Cultivated works with local manufacturers and craftspeople to restore, reinvigorate or recycle original design pieces, creating a sustainable circular economy for authentic furniture and lighting.
From a single lounge chair in need of reupholstering to a dining table or pendant that’s seen better days, Cultivated works with local manufacturers and craftspeople to restore, reinvigorate or recycle original design pieces, creating a sustainable circular economy for authentic furniture and lighting.
Zepel: This luxury textile supplier has recently introduced the Eco collection – a range of environmentally friendly soft furnishing fabrics that are made of at least 50 percent recycled or organic yarns, which can be used for sofa, armchair or curtain upholstery.
If you are keen to build or renovate in a way that’s kinder to the earth, Sewall suggests exploring the following with your architect:
- Passive design: “The first step to building sustainably is to get the orientation, openings, breeze paths and shading right so that your home stays comfortable year-round,” she says.
- Consider size and materials: “Ask your architect to look at ways to reduce embodied energy, whether this is by making your home’s footprint smaller or sourcing local materials. Every square meter we build takes precious resources [from the earth], so it’s important to interrogate what we are building and if we can build it smarter,” she says.
- Timeless design: “We are big believers that sustainable design needs to transcend fads and fast trends. By designing something timeless that will have appeal now and for future generations, we can ensure our buildings will last,” she says.
Your turn
Are you planning to go green with your reno or build? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images for your own renovation inspiration, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want more on sustainable design? Don’t miss this Renovation Insight: How to Choose a Sustainable Architect
Sponsored
Sponsored
Mike Hermon, executive director of planning and development, and GreenSmart manager at Housing Industry Association (HIA), concurs. “For many builders and renovators, sustainability is starting to be up there with other housing considerations, such as interior and exterior design, colour selection and soft furnishings.
“And it is not just limited to detached dwellings – it is gaining momentum in medium-density [homes] and apartments too,” he says.