Sanctuary Issue 58
House profiles
Tiny treasure
Jiri Lev’s diminutive family cottage in northern Tasmania uses locally sourced, natural and raw materials and is a blueprint for affordable housing.
Small by design
Josie and Brendon’s off-grid house in central Victoria is deliberately small, simple and sustainable.
Fitting the bill
In subtropical Rockhampton, this family are enjoying their sustainable, low-maintenance home built on a tight budget.
Modest masterpiece
Simple, prefabricated construction and careful design enabled a spacious-feeling and high-performing home on a seriously tiny Perth site.
Compact and crafted
Taking cues from Japanese architecture, Condon Scott Architects crafted a compact small-footprint home in Wanaka, New Zealand.
You little beauty
With a footprint of just 35 square metres, this renovated terrace in Sydney’s inner west provides a light and quiet sanctuary, with leafy outlooks and entertaining spaces that belie its size.
Super sharehouse
After visiting many uninspiring and poorly built apartments, Brisbane first home buyer Hugo Salmon found a house just waiting for a transformation and a new life.
Ideas & advice
Can we afford it? The rising cost of building in Australia
What does it cost to build a house in Australia these days? What factors are at play, and what’s the most affordable way? We talk to three experts.
Sustainability in the mix: The latest in eco-concrete
Concrete is a beloved building material with a shockingly high embodied carbon footprint. Dick Clarke looks at the problem and some of the latest solutions.
Eco-concrete case studies
Cement replacement, geopolymer concrete and recycled components: these three homeowners made a greener choice for their concrete slabs.
Join, act, impact: Renew’s branches making a difference
Renew’s network of volunteer branches provides an avenue for people to take practical action in their local community to address the global climate emergency.
On the drawing board: Pathway to carbon zero
The team at Positive Footprints tell the story behind their Carbon Zero Homes series.
Design Workshop: Making a small space work harder
Small space expert Kate Shepherd helps a young Canberra couple make the most of their diminutive but beloved apartment.
Pocket forests: Urban microforests gaining ground
Often no bigger than a tennis court, microforests help establish cool urban microclimates, provide wildlife habitat and focus community connection. Mara Ripani goes exploring.
Climate Resilient Homes campaign update: Polling power
Australian voters are set to go to the polls. What might the upcoming federal election have in store for the sustainability of our homes?
