News
Sanctuary 68 out now: Say goodbye to gas!
Sanctuary 68 brings you a bonanza of beautiful, green, all-electric homes, and plenty of advice on how to create your own.
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Sanctuary: modern green homes is Australia's premier magazine dedicated to sustainable house design.
House profiles
Like a charm
A smart renovation vastly improved functionality and sustainability in this small Melbourne home, keeping within the original footprint and retaining the cute period character.
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Ideas & Advice
Case study: 130-year-old cottage goes modern electric
Not sure where to start on the electrification journey? Working with a one-stop shop can help streamline the conversion from a gas to an electric home, as Marnie and Ryan discovered.
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Ideas & Advice
Doubling up: The why, how and where of building a secondary dwelling
The why, how and where of building a secondary dwelling.
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House profiles
Red brick reno
After years of gradual upgrades, this leaky brick cottage in Central Victoria is now an exemplar of comfortable, efficient, low-bills living.
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House profiles
Small luxuries
This minimalist apartment renovation near Brisbane’s waterfront provides the efficiency of small-space living with some classy touches.
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House profiles
Ahead of the field
An adventure-loving couple have converted an old horse stable in Fremantle into a charming, compact and high-performing home.
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Advocacy
Historic 7-Star homes win will slash energy bills and emissions
After years of campaigning, Renew is celebrating a win with news of the decision that all new Australian homes will need to meet 7-Star energy standards.
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Advocacy
New research shows Australians want more efficient housing
A majority of Australians say the homes they live in are not performing well when it comes to energy efficiency, with most households favouring significant improvements to the nation’s housing stock as energy prices continue to rise.
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Research
Limiting energy bills by getting off gas
Electricity and gas tariffs are rising. New research from Renew shows that homes depending on gas for heating, cooking and hot water are set to be hit the hardest.
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Advocacy
Australia needs a National Energy Performance Strategy
Renew strongly backs the development of a National Energy Performance Strategy. Read our submission.
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Ideas and advice
Ideas & Advice
All together now: One-stop shops for energy upgrades
If you want to do a home energy upgrade, it can be hard to know where to start. One-stop shops offer advice, information and referrals all in one place; we take a look at what they’re all about.
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Ideas & Advice
Case study: 130-year-old cottage goes modern electric
Not sure where to start on the electrification journey? Working with a one-stop shop can help streamline the conversion from a gas to an electric home, as Marnie and Ryan discovered.
Read more
Ideas & Advice
In praise of Accoya
Native hardwoods are beautiful, strong and durable, but we need to wean ourselves off destructive forestry practices. Building designer and recreational woodworker Dick Clarke takes one hardwood alternative for a test run.
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Sustainable design events
Design workshop
Design workshop
Design workshop revisited: Small space success
With some small but important changes to the internal layout based on our expert’s advice, this expanding young Canberra family is getting more out of their diminutive apartment.
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Design workshop
Design workshop: Making a small space work harder
Young professional couple Jess and David love their diminutive Canberra apartment and the productive courtyard garden they have established, and would like to make changes to maximise natural light, make the most of the available space, and accommodate a future family. Small space expert Kate Shepherd of Rob Henry Architects is on hand to help.
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Design workshop
Design workshop: A higher-performing volume build
Kirsten and James are keen to make the project home they’re planning in Camberwell, Victoria, as energy-efficient and comfortable as possible, and have budgeted for some upgrades. Architect Penny Guild and ESD consultant Erika Bartak give the couple some advice on achievable tweaks to improve their home’s performance.
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House profiles
New beginnings
Catherine’s new hempcrete home in the Witchcliffe Ecovillage, south of Perth, offers her much more than simply a place to live.
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House profiles
Greenhouse spectacular
This Passive House is comfortable throughout Canberra’s often extreme seasons, and has a greenhouse attached for year-round gardening.
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House profiles
Like a charm
A smart renovation vastly improved functionality and sustainability in this small Melbourne home, keeping within the original footprint and retaining the cute period character.
Read more