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Sustainable Homes

A Small But Mighty Sustainable New Build In Williamstown

Sitting comfortably among established period cottages, this clever new home generates three times more energy than it consumes!

Renter-Friendly Ways This Share House Can Save Money On Energy Bills

Expert Tim Forcey shares how these renters can reduce their energy bills and improve comfort in their sleek Northcote share house.

12 Ways To Save On Energy Bills Before You Invest In Solar Panels

Energy adviser Tim Forcey outlines 12 ways households can save on energy bills before looking to invest in solar.

Everything You Need To Know About Installing A Home Battery

Find out why more Australian households than ever have decided to invest in a home battery.

How These First Homebuyers Can Save Energy In Their Half-Renovated House

This cute Victorian cottage is more efficient than you think, but an expert reveals how it could become even more sustainable!

We Love Mid-Century Homes — But Are They Energy Efficient?

Energy advisor Tim Forcey assesses the sustainability of this 1960s family home. Find out how it stacks up!

Sustainable Homes

A Family's Sustainable Country Home Among The Gum Trees

Find out how the architects behind this energy-efficient home in regional Victoria kept the project's costs down.

How Going All-Electric Could Save Your Household Thousands

Find out how you could turn your home all-electric and save thousands on your energy bills — with tips for households on a budget!

Sustainable Homes

8 Inspiring Homes That Champion Sustainability

Our favourite homes are those that prove great design and sustainability go hand in hand. Here are our top eight!

This Sustainable Home Brings The Outdoors In — In The Best Way

Olaver Architecture designed this new Melbourne house around a striking central courtyard and a suite of sustainable materials.

This Energy Expert Is Optimistic About Australia's Renewable Energy Future + You Should Be Too!

Acting CEO at Hydro Tasmania Erin van Maanen debunks some common myths about renewable energy, and why she's optimistic about Australia's future!

5 Reasons To Consider Building A Passive House

In a new podcast episode, builder Mark van Haandel shares why Passive Houses are more sustainable, energy efficient and healthier to live in.

Sustainable Homes

This 9-Star Home Raises The Bar For Sustainable Renovations

Find out how this Mornington Peninsula home achieved a 'crazy' impressive energy rating of 9 stars thanks to a clever renovation.

This Visionary Engineer Has A Plan To Fight Climate Change + Save Households Money

In a new episode, we speak to Rewiring Australia's Saul Griffith about how Australian households can go electric, cut emissions, and save money!

This Humble Weatherboard Hides A Hardworking Extension

Steffen Welsch Architects revamped this warm Melbourne family home with sustainability and functionality in mind.

How Turning Your Home All-Electric Could Save You Thousands

In a new podcast episode, we speak to Sarah Aubrey about her viral Instagram account that reveals the (big!) savings that come with all-electric homes.

Meet The Melbourne Sustainability Advocate Who Only Shops Second Hand

In a new podcast episode, Tamara DiMattina reveals how she's bought nothing new for almost two decades — and her advice for finding second-hand gems!

Sustainable Homes

A Suburban Sustainable Family Home With A Tiered Native Garden

It uses up to 90 percent less energy than traditional homes!

A Multi-Generational Family Home Wrapped Around A Central Garden

Edition Office have designed an open house around a central courtyard with enough space for the parents, grandparents and children to all live separately, together.

A Perth Passive House Inspired By Traditional Japanese Architecture

This architect's own family home blends Japanese-inspired details with the sustainable standards of Germany's Passivhaus principles.

A Humble Cabin Designed To Blend Into The Queensland Bush

This Fouché Architects-designed cabin allows the owner to live among the lush tree canopy of a bushland block.

How These Landscape Architects Built A Sustainable Home for $450k

See Design Studio co-founders share how designing their Perth family home on the 'smallest possible footprint' lead to an extremely energy-efficient house!

Lucy's Renewable Energy Deep-Dive At Tarraleah Hydropower Station!

Join Lucy for an inspiring trip to Tasmania, to see how hydropower harnesses the natural flow of water to create energy that powers a whole state!

Sustainable Homes

How An Inner Melbourne Victorian Workers Cottage Maximises Light + Warmth

A rear extension and central courtyard completely changed the dynamic.

A Sustainable Off-Grid Retreat in Rural Victoria

See how a 90-acre cattle farm became the canvas for a lush off-grid dwelling!

Clever Ways To Save Energy In A Weatherboard Home — On A Budget!

Energy advisor Tim Forcey shares how cook Clementine Day can make her 1955 Castlemaine home warmer, and more efficient.

A Transportable Off-Grid Dwelling On A Breathtaking Tasman Peninsula Site

Saxon Hall has reimagined the typical camping facilities block in this stunning new project.

How Connie Cao Can Reduce Her Home Energy Bill To Just $250 A Year!

Energy advisor Tim Forcey reveals how gardening content creator Connie Cao can reduce her energy usage and turn her old home all-electric.

A Sustainable Makeover Of A 1910s Sydney Home

How Vanessa Pilla and Jo Cooper made their long-term Hurlstone Park home function like a brand new house.

How To Save Energy In A First-Home Buyers’ Brunswick Cottage

Energy advisor Tim Forcey reveals how a young couple's Melbourne weatherboard can become more sustainable with some easy upgrades!

Sustainable Homes

An Architect’s Sustainable Creekside Family Home In Frankston South

The low-impact design and regenerative landscape of architect Christopher Botterill's family home gives back to the local environment.

A Scandi-Inspired Boathouse With Views Of Lake Macquarie, NSW

This new Speers Point house nods to vintage boat shacks to create an incredible family home among the treetops.

Sustainable Homes

How A Clever Renovation Cut This Retro Brick Home’s Energy Bills In Half

This retro Brunswick West family home is now a surprisingly energy-efficient sanctuary, thanks to a savvy extension.

This A-Frame Cabin Can Be Assembled Without Power Tools In Just 4 Hours

Kabina is a relocatable, sustainable cabin that can be flat packed, transported, and assembled on site without using any screws or nails.

Sustainable Homes

This Perth Family Home Paves The Way For 'True Net Zero' Design

This architect's own family home is carbon negative, without compromising on style or liveability.

Sustainable Homes

An All-Electric + High Performing Worker’s Cottage

A first-time renovator reveals his advice for turning a Victorian worker’s cottage into a sustainable home.

Sustainable Homes

10 Impressive Homes That Championed Sustainability In 2023

These inspiring homes show how sustainability and great design go hand-in-hand. Discover how they did it here!

Sustainable Homes

A Family’s Much-Loved ‘Upcycled House’ In Ocean Grove

The architects at Freehand Projects have created a sentimental and sustainable home, complete with recycled bricks and an incredible library.

Sustainable Homes

A Sustainable Strawbale Home With Panoramic Country Views

Huff’n’Puff Haus by Envirotecture is a passively designed home in central Victoria that generates more energy than it uses.

Sustainable Homes

A Family's Sustainable Sanctuary, Built From Biodegradable Material

This newly built hempcrete house in Melbourne’s north-east is designed to be as eco-friendly as possible.

Sustainable Homes

A Peaceful + Sustainable Sydney Home Designed To Do ‘More With Less’

This new 129-square-metre home by Trias frames towering gum trees — while also minimising the owner's environmental impact!

Sustainable Homes

How A Melbourne Family Improved The Energy Rating Of Their Heritage Home By 160%!

Sustainable renovations have turned this inefficient Melbourne heritage house into an all-electric, comfortable and beautiful family home.

Lucy’s Top 5 Lessons Learnt Since Installing Rooftop Solar

Since installing solar power 3 months ago, has Lucy's household electricity usage changed at all? And has she saved any money on her power bills? Here she shares all!

Sustainable Homes

An All-Timber, Small Footprint Addition To A Simple Weatherboard Cottage

North King by Ben Callery Architects in Northcote, Melbourne has been newly-extended with an efficient all-timber addition.

Australia's Path To Renewable Energy, With Momentum Energy’s Lisa Chiba

In the latest episode of TDF Talks, managing director Lisa Chiba explains how Australia's already heading towards a future of renewable energy!

Understanding The Pros + Cons Of Sustainable Building Materials

Learn what makes a 'sustainable' building material, and the best ones to choose for your home.

Sustainable Homes

A Sustainable Retrofit Of A ’70s Apartment Building In Fitzroy

Rather than tear down this red-brick building, its been retrofitted to create a series of sustainable apartments with impressively low energy bills.

Sustainable Homes

A New Melbourne Family Home That Champions Sustainability

Booyong is an example of a beautifully-designed and highly-functional home that not only meets, but exceeds, new energy efficiency standards.

Making Melbourne The World's First 'Self-Sufficient' City, With Consultant Will Young

In the latest episode of TDF Talks, we hear from Finding Infinity’s Will Young who reveals how this ambitious vision could become reality.

6 Ways To Make Your Rental More Sustainable

Want to save some money and reduce your environmental impact? Here's how to improve the sustainability of your rental home.

How To Improve Australia’s Poorly-Built Houses, With Energy Advisor Tim Forcey

On the TDF Talks podcast, energy advisor Tim Forcey shares how to improve your home's efficiency to benefit your health, finances, and the planet.

Sustainable Homes

A Sustainable Family Home Designed On The ‘Smallest Footprint Possible’

Perth landscape architects See Design Studio designed this 110-sq m house around its lush Mediterranean-inspired gardens!

The Future Of Sustainable Housing, With Architect Jeremy McLeod

In the first episode of our new TDF Talks mini-series on sustainability, Jeremy joins us to talk about how sustainability and affordability can coexist!

12 Brands Making Beautiful Homewares + Furniture From Recycled Materials

We've rounded up our favourite brands using everything from plastic waste to stone off-cuts to create some amazing sustainable pieces you can shop right now!

Sustainable Homes

Inside Melbourne's Unconventional 'Evergreen' Apartment Building

Evergreen by Clare Cousins Architects is one of the six Nightingale buildings in Brunswick, where leafy balconies and rooftop gardens offer the best of apartment living!

Lucy's Green Energy Journey, Stage Two!

After assessing all the data and comparing quotes, it's install day for Lucy's new solar power system!

Sustainable Homes

An All-Electric Dream Home That Feels Like A Hidden Bushland Retreat

Oanh and Justin Harding's sustainable family home is a perfect and peaceful sanctuary, nestled into Melbourne’s outer east.

Sustainable Homes

Inside A Spectacular Sustainable Farmhouse Made From Rammed Earth

The owners behind this new farmhouse on the Mornington Peninsula share how the low-energy home harnesses the elements, with views at every turn!

Lucy Shares Her Green Energy Journey — Stage One!

Join our founder Lucy Feagins as she embarks on her own green energy journey, sharing all the learnings, costs and savings along the way!

Sustainable Homes

This Mosman Home Embraces Nature With An Architectural 'Garden Room'

House for BEES by Downie North is a sustainable renovation grounded in its lush backyard, complete with a native beehive!

How Dessert Queen Katherine Sabbath Made Her Retro Rental More Sustainable

Internet baking sensation Katherine Sabbath shares how she switched to a GreenPower electricity plan, helping make her family's lifestyle more sustainable with just one phone call.

Sustainable Homes

An Off-Grid Family Home Settled Into Victoria’s High Country

Little Granite House is a compact 100 square metre rural family home that responds to its High Country environment.

Everything You Need To Know About Installing Solar Power

A step-by-step guide to installing solar power in an Australian home.

Everything You Need To Know About Composting!

Whether you live in an inner-city apartment or on a suburban home, find out how to start your own compost and reduce your household waste.

Sustainable Homes

How A New Zealand Architect Built His Home For $150,000 (With No Construction Experience!)

Architect William Samuels and Hannah D’Arcy designed and constructed their 42 square metre home on leased land in Nelson, New Zealand.

Sustainable Homes

How This Family Created Their Sustainable Forever Home From Scratch

Years of living in draughty rentals led Katherine Post and Chris Gyngell to build a sustainable forever home, guarded against the elements. See how they did it here.

Sustainable Homes

An Architectural Off-Grid Home In Auckland's Waitakere Ranges

Designer Paul Davidson’s family home in Anawhata, Auckland is a compact 120 square metre ‘cabin’ that emulates the feeling of being outdoors.

Everything You Need To Know About Passive Houses + What Makes Them So Sustainable

Passive houses use about 90 per cent less energy than the average home - making them low impact on the environment and your wallet!

Sustainable Homes

A South Gippsland Home Both Protected From + Inspired By The Elements

A textured brick wall wraps around three pavilions in Fish Creek House, sheltering the home from the ferocious winds.

Everything You Need To Know About Creating An All-Electric Home

Save money and emissions by ditching gas for an all-electric home.

Sustainable Homes

A Hilltop, Off-Grid Family Home With Mountain Views

Inside the off-grid family home in Mansfield, Victoria designed by Robbie Walker.

Sustainable Homes

This Accessible NSW Home Beautifully Channels Japanese Architecture

Butterfly House by Dane Taylor is a sustainable and thoughtful coastal retreat, that blends mid-century design and Japanese architecture.

Sustainable Homes

A Breezy + Sustainably Minded Extension Designed For Entertaining

This old Edwardian in Melbourne has been turned into an entertainer's dream sanctuary with a passively designed extension.

Sustainable Homes

This Off-Grid Holiday Home Makes The Most Of Its Serene Views

Hidden in Robertson, NSW, this serene family retreat offers an outlook of the enchanting Yarrawa Brush and Kangaroo Valley.

A Sustainable Penthouse Apartment In The Heart Of Melbourne – That You Can Stay In!

HV.Hotel's light-filled interiors and environmentally friendly architecture invites guests to experience sustainable living firsthand!

Sustainable Homes

This Sustainable, Architect-Designed Farm Stay Makes The Most Of Its 40sqm Footprint

Gawthorne’s Hut is a sustainable, off-grid 40sqm home located on a working family farm - built for a budget of just $250,000.

Meet Goodbye Gas: The Local Business Helping Households Go All-Electric

Ben Russell and his team of 'electrification experts' are making it easier than ever to ditch gas in favour of electric, renewable energy.

Sustainable Homes

How This Family Transformed A 100-Year-Old Edwardian Into An Energy Efficient Home

A sustainably-minded renovation of an old Edwardian home in Preston, Melbourne, respects the old whilst celebrating the new.