Sanctuary Issue 39

Issue highlights

  • Shacks & studios design special – simple, solar and stand-alone
  • Winter window ideas: blinds, curtains & shutters
  • Solar access & the law
  • Recycled container cabin
  • Prefab weekender
  • Community energy takes off
  • 7 Star cottage retrofit
  • Productive garden house
  • Design workshop: downsize for retirement
  • Push the boundaries with fence design

Issue contents:

Shacks and studios: Simple, solar and stand-alone

Five fabulous projects get back to basics with good design and a simple aesthetic, including a backyard shack in Tassie; stunning prefab and solar; Kiwi ‘bach’; non-toxic studio home with natural features; prefab weekender with a modular design and a recycled container cabin in Queensland made from salvaged materials.

Curvaceous beauty

A creative response to the constraints of an awkwardly shaped site leads to an eye-catching curvilinear family home west of Melbourne.

Thinking outside the box

An old Sydney worker’s cottage is transformed into a modernist, timber-clad cube that brings more space and light to a growing family.

Garden house

By renovating the garden at the same time as the house, a Yarraville extension makes savings in cost and waste.

Anything but ordinary

This new home in the ACT stands out from the crowd with its affordability and sustainability.

Not just window dressing

High-performance curtains, blinds and shutters can brighten your interior and help keep you comfortable too.

Solar access and the law

As more people head to court to try and keep the sun on their solar PV, lawyer Peter Clarke investigates the strength of right to light laws.

Design workshop: A private sanctuary for retirement

Marie Carrel from Planet Architecture helps farmers Karin and Bruce downsize into the low-maintenance, comfortable home in town they always hoped for.

Community energy: Taking back the power

Can the 90+ community energy projects in Australia fuel a faster and fairer transition to a greener grid?

Reviving the art of repair

The global repair café movement is reducing waste, building community and reviving the art of tinkering, writes Michelle Fisher.

Pushing the boundaries

Mara Ripani showcases exciting new sustainable fence materials and design ideas.