Envirotecture are very proud to announce that the Thornleigh Passivhaus has been certified under the rigorous Passive House standard. It is the first in Sydney.

Envirotecture are very proud to announce that the Thornleigh Passivhaus has been certified under the rigorous Passive House standard. It is the first in Sydney.

What’s stopping us humans from achieving perfectly sustainable outcomes every time? We usually wilt in the face of difficulties.

Sustainable designer Dick Clarke explains some of the new developments reshaping the way we build in Australia and around the world, including composite materials that reduce carbon, interrupt waste streams and even re-assemble themselves

All wrapped up…. See a passivhaus partially constructed. Membranes exposed, framing visible, services on show, HRV ducting installed. A rare opportunity to see the workings behind passivhaus…

NZ PreFab CoLab 2019 was held in Auckland in March, and Envirotecture director Dick Clarke went along to see what the Kiwis are up to. Plenty, it turns out.

Often poor performing and riddled with asbestos, is Australia’s ubiquitous fibro shack worth keeping? These two families on opposite sides of the country said yes, opting for renovations and extensions that vastly improved the liveability of their humble homes.

The annual South Pacific Passive House Conference recently wrapped in Wellington New Zealand as part of the annual gathering of the Passive House community. As always it was a huge event packed with great speakers, inspirational stories and lots of useful (and slightly geeky) technical nuggets of gold.

Two boxes. One to Code. One the Passive House standard. 720kg of ice. Guess what happens next for a chance to win…

Join us at Narara Ecovillage on Sun 3 Feb at 10am to blow up a house….

Dick and Andy explores the pros and cons of Passive House for an Australian climate as Certified Passive Houses take off as a reliable solution for health, comfort and climatic challenges

Almost a decade since Black Saturday and the subsequent introduction of Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) ratings, many people are still grappling with this aspect of the building regulations. Building designer Dick Clarke unpacks his experiences with the standard, and suggests ways to improve its workability.

Certified Passive House is gaining traction in Australia, especially with sustainable designers and builders. But why are people embracing a voluntary building standard, and what does it offer that passive solar design does not?

Having a plan for a place without a plan for how it is to be used is like cooking dry toast and forgetting the butter and honey: it sticks in the throat and

At this year’s BDA National Design Awards, our Mudgee Hempcrete House won the prestigious Paul Dass Memorial Prize, took out the Residential Buildings 251-350m2 and over $2000/m2 Category and won a Commendation from

Hemp masonry is gaining recognition as a high-performance, low-impact and contemporary building product. Building designer and hemp proponent Dick Clarke explains how it’s best used in housing and its role in regenerating local agriculture.

Dion and Amy Zappacosta’s reno included some interesting material choices, including a raised timber fl oor rather than a concrete slab, recycled materials and eco-fi nishes. They describe how they went about it, and the results.

Here's a clear and accurate explanation from someone who's expert in both approaches. We offer definitions and pros and cons of each.

A highly mobile tiny house.

Glazing and buildings are about so much more than just energy and while energy is important and can be easily valued, comfort is priceless!

Andy Marlow has been elected to the eight member of APHA for a two year term.

Director Andy Marlow has recently become a certified Passive House Designer, one of only six in NSW. A tough three-hour exam including designing an entire Passive House, followed an intense two week course.

Wondering which glazing is most suitable for your house and climate? Lance Turner and Dick Clarke introduce you to the delicate art of window selection, and explain the key terms and concepts to get you started.

Sunday 17 September is Sustainable House Day, and lovely high performance low impact houses await your inspection across Australia, including some of Envirotecture’s finest.

Many green roofs don’t get past being a ‘good idea’, but with some knowledge and planning you can follow through on your desire to green up high, writes Dick Clarke.

In this edition, we explore how home size affects energy ratings, concerns over formaldehyde emissions in MDF bathroom vanities, and the role of thermal mass in home design for Victoria’s Wimmera region

In this edition, we explore topics such as installing a green roof on a Sydney shed, retrofitting insulation in a Melbourne home, and selecting efficient electric cooking appliances for an off-grid solar system.

Envirotecture recently undertook a blower door test on an Inner West terrace house. The retrofit project intends to use the Passive House EnerPHit Step-by-Step system

For those of you with an interest in seeing the mechanics of how a blower door test is undertaken, this is an invite to witness it in the flesh. As Australia moves (slowly)

Passive House or PassivHaus as it is known in Europe is often derided as an esky-approach to building that prevent people from opening windows, results in ugly boxes and is generally un-Australian. I disagree.