Four of the best sustainable stays

As expert Jen Clark writes elsewhere in Sanctuary 72, cutting through the greenwashing and finding truly sustainable holiday accommodation is getting easier. Here, we profile a handful of our favourite sustainable stays around the country. Happy holidays!

Circular thinking

On a working farm outside Junee in southern New South Wales, a disused grain silo has been transformed into a comfortable off-grid holiday stay. Designed by architect Sarah Lebner of Cooee Architecture, the project focuses on thermal comfort and low-impact living, while giving new life to old materials.

Owners Amber and Nicholas, fifth-generation farmers, saw the silo’s potential after years of opening the doors and admiring the view. “It was a special spot,” says Nicholas. “We didn’t want to knock it down or see it go to waste.” They also wanted to diversify their income in a way that reflected their values. “We plant thousands of trees each year, and we’re trying to regenerate the land,” says Amber. “The less we can impact it, the better.”

The brief was for a comfortable, private short stay cabin that used minimal power and water and could withstand the strong winds out in the paddock. The accommodation is fully off-grid, powered by rooftop solar and batteries, with a septic worm farm for wastewater treatment. There’s no gas; appliances are electric, including a reverse-cycle unit for heating and cooling, and electric vehicle charging available for guests. However, the space stays comfortable with little intervention. “In winter, the slab holds the sun’s warmth all day,” says Nicholas. “People light the wood fire for ambience, not for heat.”

Reusing the silo’s form was both an opportunity and a design challenge. “The aim was to overlay everything we know about passive solar, low-impact design onto the existing structure, and then weave in the experience, such as the arrival, views and engagement with the landscape,” says Sarah. “We honestly just had a great time collaborating and layering more ideas as the project evolved.”

The silo’s modular ring system allowed the structure to be dismantled, fitted with a timber frame and insulation, and reassembled with the original silo ‘skin’. Openings were carefully placed: the living space faces north, the bedroom has narrow east and west windows to frame sunrises and sunsets, and cross ventilation helps cool the space in summer. The result is a 7-Star energy rating, with guests regularly using less than 10 per cent of the battery’s capacity overnight and rarely needing to adjust the indoor temperature. “The battery is usually fully charged within an hour of the sun coming up,” says Nicholas.

Nicholas and Amber had originally hoped for a verandah, but worried it would look ‘tacked on’ and be exposed to the site’s strong winds. Instead, Sarah designed a sheltered cut-out within the silo’s circular wall, protected from the elements. “We thought the silo was too small to lose any space inside,” says Nicholas, “but Sarah made it work to fit the verandah within the shell, and even included a staircase that follows the curve.”

Material reuse gives the project character and reduces waste. The original silo doors are now the side panels for the front gate. Concrete from the original slab, too degraded to keep, was broken up for the firepit area, and the path is made from recycled bricks that had been in Amber and Nicholas’ shed for 40 years. A few rings from a second silo were added to increase the ceiling height. “Every element of the original silo was reused or reinstalled,” says Sarah.

The circular layout and immersive rural setting are part of the appeal for guests. “You arrive behind the silo, and walk the circular path – brushing up against the rippled industrial structure – until you discover the silo entry and the stunning view of the valley,” says Sarah. Outside, a track leads to the firepit and a hot tub beside a dead tree that hosts flocks of birds. “We love that the tree has become part of the experience,” says Amber. “For us, the aim was to create something that worked with the land, not against it.”

Reservations: thesilosaccommodation.com.au

Treehouse escape

Built on a tight budget after renovating their own home in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Emily and Adam’s Blak Shak is a compact, gas-free retreat shaped by simple design goals and a love of travel. Having developed “an unexpected addiction to design and building”, the couple used their post-renovation momentum, and leftover building materials, to complete the cabin.

The 43-square-metre accommodation sits on their lush, sloping block outside Montville: “a retreat in our own backyard,” says Emily, explaining that it was a response to more people looking for local getaways as a result of Covid disruptions. The couple sketched countless versions before landing on a design.

Careful site planning ensures the cabin feels secluded, despite council regulations requiring it to sit within 20 metres of their home. No windows face the main house, and the deck is screened by lush planting. The bath overlooks a garden for privacy, with louvres for airflow in what could otherwise be a humid space.

North-facing, the cabin features a deck and roofline that blocks summer sun while welcoming winter warmth. “Because it’s a relatively small space and well-insulated, it stays comfortable year-round,” says Emily. “In winter, the windows let in plenty of direct sunlight throughout the day, which helps warm the space naturally.”

Completed for $260,000 including landscaping and a separate driveway, the project used plenty of renovation leftovers including structural timber, insulation and decking. The cabin uses electricity from the main house with its 8-kilowatt solar PV system and also connects to the existing wastewater system via a macerating pump, avoiding the cost of new systems.

“A huge saving came from doing most of the landscaping ourselves,” says Emily. “We used cuttings and transplants from our own garden and planted things we knew would thrive quickly in our subtropical climate, like bananas, heliconias and bromeliads. This meant we could create a lush, welcoming garden without spending much at all.

“What I love most is how calm and grounded it feels,” she goes on. “It’s a small place, but it feels really open and connected to nature.”

Reservations: heartful.com.au/properties/the-blak-shak-1

Handcrafted hideaway

Owner-built by Kate and John, Myrtle’s Hut is a 53-square-metre handcrafted stay on their Glenburn property in north-east Victoria. Named after Kate’s great-grandmother, who once travelled the region by horse and buggy, the retreat invites guests to slow down and reconnect with nature with its semi-outdoor living space.

“From the very first sketch we wanted to create a unique immersive experience,” says Kate. The kitchen/dining area sits on a deck under cover, with a solid north wall for protection from sun and wind. A glassless ‘shopkeeper’s window’ above the bench can be opened for morning sun and views, or closed for privacy and shelter on the shared property.

Kate says the north wall was essential for year-round comfort in the outdoor space. “Without the wall, the site would be too hot by mid-morning in the summer months, and the winds rolling down from the neighbour’s hill would blow our guests off the deck in winter.”

The steel-framed bedroom section is built on wheels to minimise the impact on the site. This approach proved both practical and sustainable. It was built beside John’s workshop, 80 metres from the site, where access to power tools made the process easier. The mobile design allows for relocation in case of bushfire and avoids the need for a permanent slab. “When the hut was at the lock-up stage, the bedroom was hooked up to the ute and towed down to the site,” says Kate.

Extensive use of recycled materials gives the hut its character. “All the materials were collected over time,” Kate says, describing John as a “keeper of useful bits of timber and things that might hold a purpose down the track”. The door to the outdoor shower came from a 1924 Californian bungalow, while reclaimed power poles, bridge beams, messmate rafters from a demolished warehouse, and stringybark decking all contribute to the low-impact build. “We love the concept of the Scottish ‘bothy’, and the old mountain huts in Victoria’s high country, built with locally available materials,” Kate goes on. “Myrtle’s Hut is a minimalist refuge with our own bespoke touches.”

The hut is powered from the main house’s solar system and batteries via an underground cable, and is 100 per cent reliant on rainwater. It has a small reverse-cycle air conditioner in the insulated bedroom module for heating and cooling.

Surrounded by bush and a revegetation zone, Myrtle’s Hut is designed for quiet evenings among kangaroos, wombats, birds and bogong moths. “We hope this simple immersion in nature creates a deeper appreciation for it for our guests,” says Kate.

Reservations: airbnb.com.au/rooms/1434392454139372798

Smart to share

Purpose-built for flexibility, this Margaret River retreat was designed to suit shared living. As more travellers holiday with extended family or friends to save money or enjoy quality time together, Christy and Brad saw an opportunity to create a relaxed stay that suits different group dynamics. “The house was designed so occupants can be a bit separated,” explains Brad: it offers privacy when needed and a shared space in the middle of the home.

Architect Matt Delroy-Carr from MDC Architects achieved the flexibility with a floor plan that places bedroom wings on either side of a central living area. The bedrooms were designed to avoid arguments over who gets the best one. “The sizing and windows are all very equitable,” says Matt. “With the consistent eave overhang, each room receives the same sunlight and has a similar level of comfort. Each space also benefits from a fantastic view into native bushland.”

Rather than giving a separate ensuite to each room, the second and third bedrooms share a ‘Jack-and-Jill’ style bathroom; the toilet is separate and a little further removed for extra privacy. “It is such a perfect layout for accommodation,” says Brad. “The two rooms still feel like master suites with the adjoining bathroom.”

Two large exposed concrete blade walls anchor the layout, dividing the sleeping zones, framing the central deck and adding thermal mass. “The house faces north with a shallow floor plan, so there’s ample winter sunlight, while the eaves mitigate unwanted summer sun,” says Matt. The simple layout and well-placed windows allow excellent cross ventilation in summer, with no air conditioning installed, a testament to the owners’ confidence in the natural cooling and the 8-Star energy rating.

There is hydronic floor heating for winter, powered by a heat pump and thus using very little energy. “The house holds its heat well in winter and doesn’t fluctuate. It’s incredibly comfortable,” says Brad.

“The open plan living, the huge north-facing windows: it all just works,” he goes on. “You can sit on the deck, looking straight out at the gums, and there are often kangaroos or red-tailed black cockatoos right in front of you. It’s pretty special.”