Building materials Archives

On the drawing board: Of lovable, well-made things

6 Sep 2019

Inaugurating our new series On the drawing board, architect Matt Elkan muses about beauty and quality in the built environment, how they contribute to longevity, and how an appreciation of both has informed his recent work.

Ideas & Advice

A new solution to our waste crisis

26 Jun 2019

Creating new materials from waste products is essential if we’re to solve the global recycling, waste and emissions crisis.

Ideas & Advice

Materials frontier: Composites reforming the way we build

26 Jun 2019

Sustainable designer Dick Clarke explains some of the new developments reshaping the way we build in Australia and around the world, including composite materials that reduce carbon, interrupt waste streams and even re-assemble themselves.

Outdoors

Upcycled glasshouses

3 Jun 2019

Are we in a new golden age of conservatories? Secondhand glazing is being given a new life as greenhouses – but far from being plant-only spaces, we visit five conservatories which double as cosy extra rooms for relaxation.

Building materials

Thin skin: getting cladding right

3 Jun 2019

Cladding has become controversial, but every building needs a skin. What should you consider when choosing cladding material?

Building materials

Fair dinkum wood: Locally sourced ecologically sustainable timber

17 Oct 2018

CERES Fair Wood has established itself as an honest broker, linking people seeking environmentally and socially responsible timber with small local farm foresters and salvage sawmillers who can struggle to find a market for their resource. While still small in scale, could this social enterprise’s local ‘chain of custody’ approach become a new model for sustainably sourced timber?

Building materials

Hemp, hemp masonry and hempcrete

16 Jul 2018

Why hemp is gaining recognition as a high-performance, low-impact and contemporary building product. Dick Clarke explains why.

Building materials

Changing phase: Are PCMs living up to their promise?

16 Apr 2018

Richard Keech considers why you might choose to use phase change materials (PCMs)

In focus

Composite benefits: When are SIPs the right choice?

11 Jan 2018

Many households now factor construction time and expected energy bills into their project bottom line. Could structural insulated panels be an answer to lowering them both?