Sanctuary Issue 35

Issue highlights

• Self-contained studio and granny flat special
• Rammed earth home in Margaret River
• Eco townhouse subdivision
• Efficient heating guide: hydronic heating and reverse-cycle
• Daylight your home: skylights and LED technologies
• Birdscaped gardens

Issue contents:

A modern townhouse

A large site in Melbourne’s middle suburbs is sensitively subdivided to provide for two 7.7 Star townhouses and productive gardens.

Country spread

Living in the country may seem charming and idyllic to some, but Pamela O’Reilly endured many climatic extremes before building a rammed earth farmhouse near Margaret River.

Japanese lessons

A small house doesn’t have to feel cramped, as architect James Pedersen demonstrates with a Japanese-inspired home for his growing family in Sydney’s inner-west.

Closer to Eden

A striking and ambitious yet badly performing house in Adelaide’s Eden Hills has been reconfigured and extended to provide better flow and connect it to its bush setting, rather than being bulldozed.

Family hub

A classic inner-urban weatherboard is artfully renovated to meet the needs of an active family, and to provide every room with a garden view.

Big sky views

Constructed from locally sourced materials and designed in the style of a traditional worker’s shed, a new home in Trentham, Victoria, is an exemplar of good residential design for a sub-alpine climate.

Backyard renaissance

We unpack the boom in granny flat construction in Australia and the potential for small self-contained studios to make cities more flexible and sustainable.

10 green granny flat and studio profiles

Tiny dwellings are an irresistible challenge for many sustainable architects. Check out 10 projects that strike the right balance between urban infill, neighbourhood amenity and precious green space.

Stay warm this winter with efficient heating

Lance Turner weighs up the costs and comfort of efficient home heating options, including hydronic heating systems and reverse-cycle air conditioners.

Daylight your home

Building design expert Dick Clarke explains the ins and outs of ‘daylighting’ your home using energy-rated skylights and solar-powered LED technologies.

Design Workshop: A beach shack transformed

Lucien and Jess want to keep as much of their fibro beach shack’s old-school charm as possible, but improve its liveability and energy performance. Tim Sonogan, from Sonogan Design, offers some sustainable design advice.

More sustainable and more affordable?

The latest research shows green homes can improve housing affordability over the life of a building with little or no additional upfront costs – so why does sustainable design still not rate in the affordability debate?

Gimme shelter

Designing outdoor spaces to attract birds is a wonderful way to conserve, create and reconnect habitat. Sarah Coles speaks to Bev Debrincat from the Habitat Network about the best ways to birdscape your garden.