Sanctuary 55 out now: a deep dive into sustainable homes

Come with us on another deep dive into the built environment of the future in Sanctuary 55, as we showcase the astounding range of sustainable homes being created around Australia.

It’s good to know it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, either: this issue, we visit a young first-home-owner couple in Brisbane, whose willingness to tackle a constrained block allowed them to build a 7.5-Star low-bills home complete with landscaped garden, all on a reasonable budget. Small-footprint rural homes in Tasmania and the Blue Mountains set the pace for off-grid living – with bushfire protection built in – and sensitive extensions to well-loved homes in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth improve liveability and connect occupants better to the outdoors, in one case with a roof garden.

Take a look inside Sanctuary 55

Also in this issue: As we head into winter, energy efficiency expert Richard Keech canvases the options for the tricky job of retrofitting wall insulation. In On the drawing board, interior designer Hayley Witt contemplates the wins and challenges of truly responsible product selection, and we delve into our Green Rebuild Toolkit case studies to bring you the story of an owner-built house that survived two bushfires. Elsewhere, we look at how you can use living plants for your fencing, explore the role of local councils in the push for environmental sustainability, and bring you a Climate Resilient Homes campaign update – plus much more.

Sanctuary 55 is on its way to subscribers and will be on sale in newsagents from 27 May. You can buy a copy online or subscribe to get every issue delivered. 

We welcome your feedback. Perhaps there’s something else you would you like to see in Sanctuary? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or by email.