Sanctuary Issue 71

House profiles

The life bespoke

Bree’s small-footprint hempcrete house in Castlemaine, Victoria, is designed for liveability and community.

Natural wonder

This New Zealand couple built their Passive House-certified farmhouse using locally sourced strawbales, timber and clay.

A home for generations

With a modest extension and smart upgrades, this Canberra home is now far more comfortable and ready to evolve with the family’s needs.

Homegrown studios

A desire to support his adult kids and a passion for sustainable building inspired David’s backyard strawbale project.

Hard-working housing

This eco development in Perth combines good design with higher density to create more affordable homes for renters and homeowners.

Mini profiles

We look at two projects that accommodate multigenerational living in different yet similarly creative ways.

Ideas & advice

On the drawing board: Hempcrete homestead

Nicola and Dan tell the story of their hempcrete Passive House project, with its uncommon central sustainability feature: co-living.

Double duty: Pathways to two dwellings on one block

Architect Michi Moses looks beyond nifty design ideas, shedding light on what else you need to consider if you’re keen to share your block with others.

Waste not: Salvaging timber for a sustainable new build

Doing a knockdown-rebuild? Save all that beautiful timber: there’s a lot you can do with it in your new home. Thor Diesendorf explains why and how.

Design Workshop: Shack vibes

Holley’s little shack in Bicheno is right on the water with glorious views, but needs rejuvenation. Building designer Jane Hilliard of Designful gets her teeth into it.

Outdoors: Saving stormwater

You can do a lot around your house to prevent stormwater runoff, simply by opting for permeable surfaces when landscaping.