Tag Archive for ‘sustainable housing’
Making communities viable
By Paul Mischefski
The movement towards a return to living in communities is one that is growing in momentum in Australia and world-wide. Smaller micro-communities and larger ventures are springing up alongside others that have been long-established.
Yet many people also consider a move to community living with a mixture of curiosity, dread, some fear and [...]
Building with sustainable timbers
By Sharon Green
The South East Queensland Regional Plan has predicted that the population of the region will grow from 2.8 million in 2006 to 4.4 million by 2031.
The Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning claims that this rapid growth will create the need for an additional 754,000 new homes. As the state government chatters excitedly [...]
Building with Cob
Cob builders use their hands and feet to form lumps of earth mixed with clay, straw and sand. It is a sensory and aesthetic experience similar to sculpting with clay. Cob is very easy to learn and inexpensive to build.
Because there are no forms, ramming, cement or rectilinear bricks, cob lends itself to organic shapes: [...]
Green jobs are the key
How many times do green groups need to shout if from the roof tops? Roof tops that could easily be covered in green, clean energy.
Clean energy and energy efficiency industries will create more than 28,000* new jobs by 2020, according to ground breaking economic modelling released today by the Clean Energy Council (CEC).
CEC Chief Executive, [...]
Sustainable housing a must
As our houses grow bigger, so do our ecological footprints. A change is now urgent…
Living smart homes generates change
Ann White writes on how signing up to the Living Smart Homes Project has proved a catalyst for deep changes…
Housing debate misguided
The question of housing affordability is a furphy, says Alan Pears, a consultant and academic at the forefront of the energy debate in Australia. “We’ve got a seriously misguided debate going on at the moment about housing affordability with some saying we can’t afford sustainable features in new homes…
Design for climate
Jo Turner gives three very basic starting points for good passive design in your house …
A badge of honour
How can householders effectively tackle climate change at their own level? Noosa and Caboolture Councils have looked closely at this issue and the result is the Living Smart Homes Project. Officially launched in June, the project gives householders ways of measuring and reducing their consumption in the areas of energy, waste, water and transport.
“The project’s [...]
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