Sanctuary 71 out now: Creatively different approaches to housing

In Sanctuary 71 we explore creatively different approaches to housing, in pursuit of greater flexibility, affordability and community.

More and more, Australians are looking beyond the twentieth-century dream of the detached family house on a large suburban block. In this issue, we look at how some enterprising homeowners are doing housing differently: think self-contained backyard studios, multigenerational homes, flexible layouts designed to work as one or two dwellings, and even shared houses. In Sydney, two friends bought a block together and built a pretty pair of homes; on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, a couple made sure their mid-century style future retirement home could accommodate visiting family or even tenants in privacy. A self-funded small development on a suburban site involved keeping and renovating the existing house and building four more, some designed for dual occupancy themselves. In Perth, one dad owner-built two comfortable strawbale studios in his backyard to offer his young adult kids a place to live, and in Canberra a modest extension and smart upgrades to a 1960s home made it far more comfortable and ready to evolve with the family’s needs.

Take a look inside Sanctuary 71

In On the drawing board, one enterprising couple tells the story of their Central Victoria cohousing project, building not only a sustainable house to accommodate a crowd, but also a community. We take a quick look at two families’ solutions to sharing space with three generations, and Michi Moses looks at the regulatory side of creating two dwellings on one block. We also make the case for salvaging and reusing timbers in knockdown-rebuild projects, and explain what you need to know. Mara Ripani walks us through alternatives to impermeable paving, including hardy ground cover plants – plus much more.

Sanctuary 71 is on its way to subscribers, and on sale now in newsagents. You can buy a copy here, and 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 or Instagram, or by email.