SHD 2021 Expert Session: Designing for sustainability

Don't forget — an Expert Session pass gives you access to all our sessions over the coming month at a discounted price. 

Design is one of the most important tools available for reducing the environmental impact of your home. In this Sustainable House Day Expert Session, we'll hear from architects and designers with decades of experience in designing sustainable homes, who will present on passive solar design, designing a 10 star home and how to make the most of a small footprint. 

In the second half of our webinar, we'll open up a panel discussion and Q&A session with our experts and some of our Sustainable House Day homeowners, who will share their first-hand experience of working with sustainable design. You can find links to their house profiles below.

Speakers

Griff Morris, Founder/Director at Solar Dwellings

Griff Morris built his first passive solar home in Victoria in the mid-seventies. On his arrival to Perth in 1985, there was little interest in the passive solar market, so Griff started a building and maintenance company. In 1991, Griff made a commitment to focus on passive solar, energy-efficient design and to make it accessible to everyone. In 1992 he designed and built his first passive solar house for a client. The house was recognised in the Choice book “Warm House, Cool House” as one of the best passive solar homes in Australia.Solar Dwellings has gone on to design and build over 800 homes in conjunction with selected builders, developing a relationship to continue the ethos of making passive solar design accessible to a large general public. Griff sits on the HIA environmental planning committee, helped to develop the HIA GreenSmart professional program in WA , and was the main trainer for over 18 years. Griff has continued to work tirelessly to change awareness and to bring his knowledge of passive solar design principles to industry and the general public.

Ruth Nordstrom, Studio Manager at SUHO

My approach to Architecture is always two-way. My educational studies in human behaviour and cognitive development has enhanced my ability to learn from my clients and venture into any engagement with an unbiased design response. With a high level of consideration for the human psyche, holistic passive design principles can ensure that architecture can be inclusive, adaptive and engaging.

Learning first hand, poor behaviours result from indoor and outdoor environmental barriers created by designers, I seek any opportunity to ensure empowerment of the building occupant to be assisted to regulate thermal comfort. Among highlights in my work history, are the disbursement of 'Future Ready' Housing that can be adapted without demographic discrimination and inclusive of gender, ambulant disability, cognitive or sensory response

Jiri Lev, Architect at Atelier for Architecture and Urbanism 

Jiri Lev first established his atelier as a multidisciplinary design practice in 1998 in Prague and since 2005 in Australia. He focuses on residential, public, and disaster-relief building and urban design and associated research.

Jiri speaks passionately about architecture and the environment, “seeking to identify and practice what is good in both traditional and contemporary knowledge, philosophy and ethics.” 

In response to the 2019-20 bushfires, Jiri founded Architects Assist, in a bid to create a “platform for equity of access to architecture,” as according to him, “like healthcare and legal representation, sustainable and resilient architecture is not a luxury. It is a condition of our future survival and a human right.”

SHD Homeowners

Rob & Rita Phillips - Established Passive Solar House in Rural Wanneroo (WA)

Andy Lemann - Fibro Cottage Deep Energy Retrofit (NSW)

Sarah Leheny - One Tree Hill (NSW)

MC

Kulja Coulston, Communications Lead at ClimateWorks

Kulja has extensive experience as an independent journalist focused on sustainability and renewable energy sector transitions – most recently as managing editor of ‘Sanctuary: Modern green homes’ magazine. She’s also been part of specialist teams within the ABC, Mitchell Institute and Renew. Kulja hosts a weekly talk-radio program and podcast on Triple R in Melbourne.

Tickets

• You will receive the link to attend the webinar in your ticket confirmation email.
• This webinar will take place on Zoom. If you need to download Zoom, you can do so here.
• We have a number of free tickets available for those experiencing financial difficulty.
• Sustainable House Day is a national event by Renew, a non-profit organisation. Renew recognises that this event that takes place on the stolen lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We will be directing 5% of all proceeds generated by these webinars to the Pay the Rent initiative, and 5% to Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network.