Sustainable House Day is an event from Renew that provides the opportunity to explore some of Australia’s most inspiring homes, and learn from the people who designed them, built them, and live in them.

Following a day of open-home tours around the country on 21st April 2024, a month of Extension Sessions offered a deep dive into a range of sustainability topics. Australia's best architects, designers, tradespeople and experts came together to offer guidance, and homeowners offered first hand experience. If you're considering a sustainable build or renovation, this series is for you.

You can book for this recording independently, or grab an Extension Session Pass to attend the whole series at a discounted price.

Session 8: 'Enoughness’: Building small and clever

Taking its name from a term coined by one of our panellists, Jane Hilliard of Designful, this session explored the ethos of ‘enoughness’: building within your means, managing your footprint, and making smart design choices that result in beautiful sustainable homes within a budget. You’ll gain experienced insight into small and clever builds, as well as hearing pitfalls to avoid.

An expert panel of leading sustainable architects and experts offered guidance and advice.

Featuring:

Jane Hilliard, Founding Director and Head Designer, Homeful by Designful

Jane Hilliard of Homeful by Designful in Hobart, a practice that specialises in environmentally sound small designs. Homeful's approach to energy efficiency and sustainability is to embrace 'enoughness'. "We believe that a small home allows a full life and using less is one of the most powerful ways we can lessen our impact on the environment"

Matt Delroy-Carr, Director, MDC Architects

Matt is a Registered Architect in Western Australia and the founder of MDC Architects. He established the firm with a focus on the residential sector, particularly on providing solutions for the “missing middle” of home ownership. Over time, his interest evolved to exploring the economic dynamics of home ownership and the reason behind the strong preference for “volume built” homes in Western Australia. Matt's fundamental belief is that architecture should be for everyone, and is central to an improved quality of life.

Dr Martin Freney, Director, Earthship Eco Homes

Dr Martin Freney is a building designer and building scientist with a PhD on the life cycle eco-impacts and thermal performance of housing. He runs Earthship Eco Homes, a company dedicated to the design of sustainable homes, and to education via tours, talks and workshop events where volunteers can learn shelter making with the indigenous materials of the 21st century. Marty is the creator of Australia's first council approved Earthship - Earthship Ironbank, a multipurpose building that transforms from an off-grid design studio into a weekend bed & breakfast where people can experience an off-grid, eco home. He lives in his owner-built strawbale house, built in 2001, which is a shed retrofit with sustainable technology such as a composting toilet.

Hosted by:

Nathan Scolaro, Managing Editor, Renew Magazine by Renew

Nathan Scolaro is the Managing Editor of Renew Magazine. He has worked in media and publishing for more than 15 years, including as editor of the Melbourne periodical, Dumbo Feather. He is interested in the intersections of storytelling and social and environmental change, and works with for-purpose organisations and media companies to amplify their positive impact through engaging stories.

Tickets

You can purchase a ticket to this event individually, or consider an Extension Session Pass, giving you access to all of our Extension Session recordings at a discounted price.
Sustainable House Day is an event by Renew.

Our sponsors

Sustainable House Day wouldn't be possible without our amazing sponsors, we are so grateful for their support. Gold Sponsors: NSW Architects Registration Board. Silver Sponsors: Bank Australia, Witchcliffe Ecovillage. Bronze Sponsors: Cargocylces, Envirotecture, and Light House Architecture and Science.