Sanctuary 62 out now: Sustainable House Day special

In this Sustainable House Day special, we take a closer look at some of the standout homes participating in the much-loved event this year.

Sustainable House Day has long been a flagship event in the sustainable living calendar – excitingly it’s back in a new autumn timeslot, and expanded to include the widest range of expert sessions yet.

Each year it’s a joy to see proud homeowners from all around the country registering their homes for the event, happy to share their learnings with others. In this issue of Sanctuary we showcase some of our favourites from this year’s collection: from seriously tiny to bigger (but not too big); from minimalist to eclectic and full of character; tucked cleverly on a small urban block or perched in the perfect spot on a rural property … what these beauties have in common is providing seriously comfortable, low-energy living for their inhabitants. If you’re inspired by this small taster, check out the full program of Sustainable House Day events on page 16, and join us for a deeper dive.

Take a look inside Sanctuary 62

Also in this issue: In On the drawing board, building designer Elizabeth Wheeler presents the inspiring family home she created with energy assessor Tamar Boyd that won the top gong in the recent True Zero Carbon Challenge – there’s so much to love in this design. We take a look at the recently announced upgrades to the National Construction Code, including the new 7-Star minimum energy rating for new builds, and what it all means.

Regular contributor Dick Clarke tackles the gnawing (sorry!) problem of termites and how to thwart them, and our friends at the Australian Passivhaus Association put some common questions to Passive House residents in our ‘Ask the Experts’ article. In our regular Outdoors section, Melbourne renter Leila Alexandra gives us a tour of her productive food garden and explains her low-effort, natural gardening philosophy – plus there’s much more.

Sanctuary 62 is on its way to subscribers and on sale in newsagents now. If you haven’t already, 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.