How - we can help you design and build your new home within time and budget constraints including the long term benefits of Sustainability. This is where we help you negotiate the web of ESD literature, products & misconceptions in regards to residential design & construction.

Passive Design
You can minimise the energy usage within your home at planning stage by designing from the outset a home to take advantage of the natural energy flows from the elements to maximise your comfort year round.

Climate zones in Australia have been grouped into six main categories, designing your home in sympathy with the various zonings is crucial to the liveability of the finished building.

The following link includes a map of the zones.
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/environ/travel/map.shtml

You can also visit another government site which gives helpful info about your particular climate zone just by entering your postcode

http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/sustainable-housing/climate-zones-2.html

Location – As the agents say its all about location but not entirely the way they think it is. Choosing your home site should be based on more than keeping up with the Jones family, decisions on views, prevailing breezes, recreation, transport requirements and future needs will greatly impact on your requirements for a functional home and efficient lifestyle.

Orientation of the dwelling on your site is considered most basic and the greatest benefit from an energy efficient perspective is if the long side of the home runs along an east/west axis this minimises summer heat gain from morning and afternoon sun. But its also the orientation of the glass that matters, little or no glass to the east and west and maximum glass to the north is the best.

Facing the outdoor entertainment and living areas of the home toward the north is also most desirable as it enables the lower winter sun to enter the house and warm the floors in winter. This is also the basics of passive heating/cooling which used correctly will negate the requirement for mechanical air-conditioning and the energy costs associated.

North-south sites on the north side of the street allow north facing living areas and gardens to be located at the rear of the house for privacy.

Thermal mass is an extension of the earths ability to absorb energy and slowly release back into the home moderating the internal temperature as the external temperatures fluctuate. Dense materials such as concrete slabs, brickwork and stone walls are examples of thermal mass in a home but can actually work against the desired outcome if not insulated and positioned correctly.

Building envelope refers to the external elements effecting a buildings thermal performance including the immediate landscaping and trees, floor, roof materials and colours, walls, windows and any screening, shading or curtains required. Dark colours absorb heat whilst light colours reflect, so a darker roof will require more insulation. Glass windows and doors are the single biggest cause of heat transferance in the modern home and need to be well located to maximise the benefits for views and ventilation. The ration of glass in the house is a critical calculation to be done by experts to ensure the house allows winter sun and minimises summer heat gain from the sun.

Ventilation is important for the comfort of occupants during the summer months and breezepaths need to be carefully planned to allow for the prevailing winds.
High ceilings to living areas and ceiling fans thruout the home are a cost effective way to increase liveability in the summer months and have the ability to reverse direction in winter and move the warm air back down.
Pools and ponds in close proximity to the breeze path entrances will cool the air as it enters the home at no expense but great benefit to the occupants, which means a courtyard plunge pool could be back on the agenda.
Coastal breezes are usually from an onshore direction, southeast, east to northeast in Queensland. Away from the coast in hilly areas cool breezes often flow down valleys in late evening and early morning as night cooling creates cool air currents.
A well designed home will not require mechanical heating and cooling which is expensive to both the owner and the environment.

Insulation acts as a barrier to heat flow so if its hot outside the heat wants to flow in to your home, with your defence being the level of insulation in your building envelope. So of course the opposite happens in winter when your warm toasty lounge room heat wants to flow out thru the walls and down the street where its no good to anyone and ends up costing you money to constantly reheat the room.
Good quality insulation installed properly at construction stage to the required R rating will lessen the impact of fluctuating external temperatures and therefore heating and cooling costs as a result.
Insulation is available as bulk and reflective materials and often a combination of both most commonly manufactured from recycled glass and plastic products.

Energy usage in most Australian homes contributes to greenhouse gas emissions in a big way due to our reliance on coal fired power generation methods. Fortunately energy in modern homes can be monitored, conserved and even produced with your own solar panels feeding power back into the grid.
Fluroescent lighting is now mandatory and with new generation CFL – compact fluro lighting and LED – light emitting diode light fittings available to enhance a room, illuminate a deck and guide along garden pathways, the importance of selecting the best product and then correct placement in the home is paramount.
Solar hot water systems are also a great way to heat free hot water from the sun with gas backup available for those overcast days ensuring no cold surprises.
Your choice of energy efficient appliances goes a long way towards cutting costs and greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. The higher the star rating the better.
Hanging clothes on the line and using the dryer only when necessary conserves energy also along with turning off appliances on standby when you know they are not used regularly or you will be away on holiday.
Monitoring your power usage is possible with a Clipsal cent-o-meter and a regular energy audit is advisable which should include the entire family to keep everyone aware of the importance of conserving our resources.

Water is another precious resource we have to conserve by a number of methods including harvesting rainwater in a storage tank for irrigation, toilets and washing machines, using water efficient fittings and appliances, installing dedicated systems to manage waste water and to always be aware of unnecessary usage around the home and office.


Building materials are many and varied in residential construction with new products seemingly available on a daily basis.
From an ecologically sustainable view though many factors have to be taken into account.
Does the product have a high embodied energy rating?
Which means the amount of energy required to produce, install and recycle or remove the material during its life as a building material.
Included is a table of materials as a guide only reproduced from VZ Yanchenko Architects.

Embodied Energy (Process Energy Requirement or PER)

Some materials have a greater impact on our resources than others and have to be carefully selected in regards to their benefits and capability to be reused or recycled impacting on the longer term costs to the environment.

Termite treatment and termite resistant materials are essential for piece of mind in protecting your investment. Most pine framing products have been treated against termite attack for some time and are coloured or stamped as H2 for termites and H3 for both termites and fungicide treatment. Many other materials are treated now also like finger jointed pine moldings, ply and particleboard sheeting.
Naturally many of our traditional building materials like concrete, steel, aluminium, fibre cement and stone products are already proven termite proof and require less ongoing maintenance.

Thru experience the selection of building materials offered for our homes and the way these products are combined has proven to offer significant improvements in the comfort, cost effectiveness and energy efficiency of a home.
With a variety of external and internal cladding available including plasterboard, plywood, render and stone facing we have something to suit all tastes in architecture.
We find by putting extra time into the project at planning stage a smoother building process and cost effectiveness is gained thru time management and waste minimisation.