Sustainable, urban design.

Many factors come into play in order to create sustainable development in urban areas. Those that focus on outcomes that use local, recycled or recyclable materials, are of a smaller scale and consume less energy are what we look for to publish in green magazine. Renovations that stay within the original footprint and reuse materials in creative ways, new builds that use less space within a block, thereby allowing vegetation to offset the hard surfaces and medium density developments that focus on ground-breaking, sustainable urban design is what you will find. We look for inspirational architecture with good  passive design that consumes little energy, houses that consider how to reduce the amount of new material, sourced locally when possible, introduce plants for heat control and consider community.

Root to Tip

Issue 63

Time, effort and a good measure of risk-taking have paid dividends in this nifty New Zealand home for two couples.

Miniature Muse

Issue 63

Inspired by terrariums, an architect renovates an existing cottage into a flexible family home that mingles architecture and landscape.

Remaking History

Issue 63

An 1880s cottage in Sydney is carefully modernised while staying true to the timeless principles of honest construction, quality materials and abundant light.

Vertically Challenging

Issue 63

A five-storey, multi-generational glass-and-concrete home on a tiny St Kilda in-fill site zoned for business sure got the neighbours and council talking. Architect Matt Gibson and design industry clients collaborated closely on this striking presence animated by its surroundings.

Local Character

Issue 62

Light, bright and bold: this architect’s Perth family home is a modern take on gable-roofed character buildings complete with top-notch views.

Good Bones

Issue 62

Maddison Architects director Drew Carling and designer Jenni Draper found plenty to love about a “defensive” 45-year-old brown brick legal office on a tapering block in West Melbourne. The beauty of their high-impact renovation is its exquisite restraint.

Borrowed Landscapes

Issue 61

Panovscott has turned a workers cottage inside out and back-to-front to borrow from and contribute to the surrounding landscape.

Materiality

Issue 61

An unassuming home is reworked into a finely detailed family environment that subtly honours craftsmanship.

Exercise in Efficiency

Issue 60

Penny Fuller and Jad Silvester’s reconfiguration of their 40-square-metre one-bedroom apartment was an exercise in efficiency. The architects, who lead their own practice, Silvester Fuller, made dimensional improvements and utilised visual tricks to maximise the space functionally and visually.

Born Again

Issue 60

A landmark modernist home in Brisbane is given a new lease on life through an empathetic and considered restoration.