Sanctuary 73 out now: Prefab + modular special

Sanctuary 73 is our prefab + modular special, in which we take a look at the latest in the burgeoning world of offsite construction in Australia.

There are so many benefits that this approach can offer for high-performing, sustainable residential architecture. We profile a selection of beautiful homes at a range of budgets that employ different prefab techniques. There’s an off-grid retreat on the New South Wales South Coast delivered as three ready-to-go modules, an 8.8-Star Perth family home built with prefabricated timber frames, and an inner-Melbourne residence that used a panelised approach to allow for road restrictions and its urban site. In country Victoria, designer Matthew Turner used structural insulated panels for his own modest family home, and in Sydney, a family opted for custom prefab cross-laminated timber for theirs. And in an ecovillage on the Gold Coast, a home that’s part new build, part repurposed modular pod is an exemplar of flexible-use, universally accessible design on a budget.

Take a look inside Sanctuary 73

Short case studies present a snapshot of how prefabrication is being employed in areas other than residential, including climate-resilient schools and accommodation for at-risk youth. In On the drawing board, architectural researcher Sarah Breen Lovett introduces Fast Slow, an innovative hybrid construction system combining modular ecoply framing with natural, bio-based materials.

Elsewhere, Jeremy Spencer contributes an overview of the Sustainable Building Alliance’s Roadmap to Zero Carbon Homes. We sit down for a chat with Justine Clark, co-founder of Parlour, a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on gender, equity and architecture. And when it comes to gardening, horticulturalist Tim Pilgrim’s wilder, less manicured style is a breath of fresh air. Dive in!

Sanctuary 73 is arriving in subscribers’ letterboxes and is 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.