In focus
Composite benefits: When are SIPs the right choice?
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?
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Sustainable Design
Windows: In the frame
Lance Turner and Dick Clarke introduce you to the delicate art of window selection, and explain the key terms and concepts to get you started.
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Building materials
Material benefit: Specifying eco building products
Vetting the green credentials of building products is difficult for everyone. We find out how the experts go about this tricky task.
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Outdoors
Pushing the boundaries: fence materials and design
Mara Ripani explains how to push the boundaries of sustainable design to the very edge of the property with the new abundance of fencing options.
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In focus
Construction waste: Low hanging fruit
Stripping buildings of their reuse components before they are demolished can reduce demand for new materials.
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Building materials
When is a concrete floor the right choice?
Dick Clarke explains the benefits and design considerations for choosing a concrete slab, and some alternatives.
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In focus
In search of good wood: building with sustainably sourced timber
How do you go about finding sustainably sourced timber?
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New build
A problem shared…
Peter and Teresa’s family home, a careful composition of old and new in a series of pavilions, will continue to evolve with their growing family and changing lifestyle.
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Building materials
Bamboo build
Used as a building staple in South-East Asia since ancient times, bamboo is now seen as the ecological choice for everything from floorboards to cleaning products, but just how green is this grass?
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Ideas & Advice
Ask our experts: Choosing tiles
Melissa Wittig helps a reader with a question on the tricky subject of sustainable tiling.
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Outdoors
Get your sun shades on: external blinds and shading
In most climates, appropriate sun shading is as important to successful passive solar design as orientation and window placement. Anna Cumming looks at how to keep the sun out when it’s not wanted.
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