Issue 85

Issue 85 comes out 5 May. Order on its own or as part of a subscription.

In every issue, either overtly or discreetly, we present houses that have considered sustainability in one form or another, whether it be via scale, craftsmanship, thermal efficiency, material reuse or technology. In this issue we highlight a few houses that have gone further in their efforts to push the envelope.

But first up, meet some women recently showcased in an exhibition at Sturt Gallery in the Southern Highlands of NSW, which displayed the work of nearly 30 female makers currently working in wood.

Then, explore a selection of homes expanding our sustainability horizons—one uses Passive House principles to create a healthy, efficient home, another looks beyond energy, water and waste to biophilia and air quality, and a third demonstrates how to create a comfortable off-grid home.

Next up, sink your teeth into this contemporary terrace transformation in bayside Albert Park in Melbourne, in which Topology Studio were commissioned to design a renovation of one of ten identical two-storey Victorian terraces built in the late 1800s, and went on to apply a series of high-impact design interventions that made use of every millimetre.

Jump over to Cremorne in Sydney’s Lower North Shore, where Brad Swartz and his partner Jade have reimagined a new sense of space in their apartment by switching the locations of the kitchen and living area, and removing walls for greater openness and connection.

After that, check out a 1930s weatherboard that has had an eco-overhaul by architects Amy Bracks and Don Gallagher, utilising as many sustainable, recycled and reclaimed materials as possible and new technologies like a Tesla solar battery and roof tiles.

Then, head over to Timbin House, nestled up in the treetops and overlooking Frenchman’s Beach on Queensland’s Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). A collaborative project undertaken by the three families co-owning the holiday home, the brief was “camping amongst the trees, but without the tent.”

Next, meet landscape architect Emily Simpson, who developed calming, playful and practical garden spaces that merge architecture and landscape with layered and varied garden sanctuaries in this heritage house and garden project in Glebe, Sydney.

Learn about a community initiative in Melbourne that’s transforming nature strips into biodiverse street gardens for bees, led by local resident and force of nature, Emma Cutting.

And finally, take a trip to the Karijini lands in the north-west of Australia to experience ancient gorges, crimson cliffs and serene rockpools.

Issue 85 comes out 5 May. Order on its own or as part of a subscription.