Videos

Renovator’s Delight – adding value and resale appeal

In our final episode we’ll be looking at what sells and what adds value to your home and how to avoid overspending on your renovator’s delight. Our series experts give their tips on what adds value to property, so let’s find out how to make sure you’re making a sound property investment.

Renovator’s Delight – easiest and most cost effective houses to renovate

Real estate is one of those instances where people judge a book by its cover. Half the battle of getting people to view your property is getting them to come through the door. We ask our series experts how to get buyers through the door and we’ll suss out the types of homes that are the easiest to renovate and what sorts of renovations are the most cost effective to do.

Renovator’s Delight – Diamond in the Rough

This week we’ll be looking at how to pick a house that’s prime for renovation and how to steer clear of a dreaded money pit. Watch this episode to get confident that you’re ready to make a sound property purchase by knowing the difference between a diamond and a lemon when you see one.

Renovator’s Delight : Financial gains from cosmetic change

In this episode we’ll be looking at the cosmetic changes you can make to a renovator’s delight that can have a big impact on your property both aesthetically and in terms of financial gain. Plus we’ll get a tour of a house ripe for renovation with an expert to find out what you can look for when you are house hunting.

Australia’s best beach houses: NSW and Nationally

In this series of the Green Building show we’ve been looking at the history of beach houses in Australia and how the modern beach house compares.

As the generations before us were more interested in city living, the desire to live not play by the ocean is a relatively new ideal.

As a result the ubiquitous beach shacks that use to line our national coastline are being replaced by decadent beach homes.

We’ve also been singling out the best beach houses state by state.

In this episode we’ll be looking at the best beach houses in NSW.

We’ll also pick out our 6 favourite beach houses nationally from this series of the Green Building Show.

Australia’s best beach houses: South Australian coast and Northern Territory

In this series of the green building show we’ve been tracking our journey as a nation of beach loving holiday makers in humble beach side shacks through to the breathtaking residences that mark our national coastline today.

Australia’s best beach houses: Queensland and Western Australia

In this series of the Green Building show we’ve been looking at Australia’s obsession with the beach house. We’ve been exploring the history of our holiday shack beginnings right through to the jaw dropping beach houses that line our national coastline today.

Australia’s best beach houses: Victoria and Tasmania

In this series of the Green Building Show we will be looking at Australia’s love affair with the beach house. In this episode check out our favourite beach houses from Victoria and Tasmania.

Throughout the series we’ll be looking at the best beach houses dotted around our national coastline. In this episode check out our favourite beach houses from Victoria and Tasmania.

Fibre cement cladding: How to get the weatherboard look

Love the classic weatherboard look but not sure how to get it? This episode of the Green Building Show covers the various weatherboard design looks achievable by using Scyon™ Linea™ weatherboard cladding, it’s ease of installation and performance.

Fibre cement cladding: How to get the vertical panel look

In this episode of the Green Building Show, we cover how to get the vertical panel look on your home with Scyon™ Axon™ fibre cement cladding.

Fibre cement cladding – How to get the classic rendered look

In this episode of the Green Building Show we’ll check out how to get the classic decorative render look by using Scyon™ Stria™ fibre cement cladding.

Fibre cement cladding: How to design a modern, geometric home

In this episode we’ll check out Scyon™ Matrix™ cladding; its ease of installation, the types of home designs and looks it can produce and its performance over time.

How to manage builders and tradies during a bathroom renovation

In this episode of The Green Building Show we’ll give you tips on how to find, hire and manage your builder and tradies to ensure you have the best possible bathroom renovation outcome.

How to avoid a bathroom waterproofing disaster

This week on the Green Building Show, we explain how to avoid those nasty, unforeseen bathroom renovation mistakes that can sneak up on you and blow out your budget.

How to plan and prepare for a bathroom renovation

In this series of the GBS we will help you plan a bathroom renovation. From design, planning and budget right through to managing your tradies, we’ve got your bathroom renovation covered.

Passive Solar Design: How it can increase your property value

In our final episode for this series on passive solar design we will be looking at how incorporating passive design principles into your home can positively affect the value of property.

Passive Solar Design: What is thermal mass?

Did you know the materials in your floors and walls have a serious impact on your home’s temperature? It is because of a property called thermal mass – a material’s ability to store and radiate heat.

Passive Solar Design: How it works

People have been harnessing the energy from the sun for thousands of years. In this episode we will be looking at how you can introduce passive solar design elements into your home in all of Australia’s varied climates.

Passive Solar Design: The principles that can lower your electric bills

Did you know that in Australia, heating and cooling account for $40 of our energy bills? By understanding how the sun travels over your home, you can incorporate passive solar design elements into your home, and eliminate the need for heating and air con.

Avoiding rookie renovation errors: Expert DIY renovation tips

Going to tackle your home renovation yourself? Don’t get started without listening to our DIY expert renovation mash-up.

Avoiding rookie renovation errors: Pre-renovation must have tips

Get ready for the most comprehensive renovation tips going around as our 6 renovation experts hit you with their best reno tips.

Avoiding rookie renovation errors: The mistakes that slash resale value

Did you know that the placement of tiles and building too large of a deck can negatively affect your home’s resale value? There are a lot of small mistakes renovators make that affect their resale value down the road that catching from the start could have prevented.

Avoiding rookie renovation errors: Why incorporating sustainability in your reno matters

Missing out on opportunities to include sustainability principles in your renovation could make it more difficult to rent and sell your home – make sure you have the sustainability basics covered before you start renovating so you get the most for your money.

Avoiding rookie renovation errors: The most common renovation mistakes

Calling all first time renovators! Our new series will shine a light on the sorts of mistakes rookie home renovators are making and how you can avoid them to save you time and money.

Weatherboard cladding: timber vs fibre cement

How do timber and fibre cement weatherboards differ in terms of strength, safety and holding up in the harsh Australian climate? This week’s show answers these questions.

Weatherboard cladding: design flexibility

This week we have an expert weigh in on the design flexibility of weatherboards and give us her take on the difference in using timber vs fibre cement.

Weatherboard cladding: types and uses

Australia has had a love affair with weatherboard homes for well over a century. Our newest series focuses on the ins and outs of using weatherboard products in the building and renovation process.

Liveable Design – Part 5

In our final episode of the series, we cover the 16 elements your home needs to achieve a Platinum rating from Livable Housing Australia.

Liveable Design – Part 4

This week we cover the 13 elements your home needs to achieve a Gold rating from Livable Housing Australia.

Liveable Design – Part 3

Now that you know what liveable design is and what it can mean for homeowners, we delve into the specific elements a home needs to have to get at least a Silver rating from Livable Housing Australia.

Liveable Design – Part 2

This week’s episode covers the various quality level ratings associated with liveable housing design and how designing a home with liveable design guidelines can potentially increase home resale value.

Liveable Design – Part 1

What is “liveable design”? We delve into how taking all of the changes homeowners and occupants go through at various life stages into account in the design process can save money, time and potentially increase investment value.

Granny Flats and Backyard Studios: Part 3

Everything you need to know about building a granny flat or studio, including where you can build and what’s the process, the likely costs and options and the pros and cons of building for investment.

Granny Flats and Backyard Studios: Part 2

Everything you need to know about building a granny flat or studio, including where you can build and what’s the process, the likely costs and options and the pros and cons of building for investment.

Granny Flats and Backyard Studios: Part 1

Everything you need to know about building a granny flat or a backyard studio, including where you can build and what the process looks like, the likely costs, options and the pros and cons of building for investment.

Best Renovation Stories: part 6

We’re talking to the people at the heart of a renovation to find out what it was really like.

Best Renovation Stories: part 5

We’re talking to the people at the heart of a renovation to find out what it was really like.

Best Renovation Stories: part 4

We’re talking to the people at the heart of a renovation to find out what it was really like.

Best Renovation Stories: part 3

We’re talking to the people at the heart of a renovation to find out what it was really like.

Best Renovation stories: part 2

We’re talking to the people at the heart of a renovation to find out what it was really like.

Best Renovation Stories: part 1

We’re talking to the people at the heart of a renovation to find out what it was really like.

Vertical Gardens

And on this week’s Green Building Show were showing you a lush, simple and relatively inexpensive way to get close to nature – even if you live in a small apartment block in the city.

Design trends 2014 : Lighting

And this week on the GBS we’re continuing our look at this year’s interior design trends to inspire and energise for your home build or renovation.

Design trends 2014: Kitchen

Love Italian food? Even if it’s not your thing you can’t escape the influence the Italians have on kitchen design…in fact any design.

Design trends for 2014: Bathroom

Bathroom makeover ideas: trends for 2014

Design trends for 2014: Colour

Whatever your renovation plans the question of colour can be a curly one! That’s because colour choices can make or break the overall effect of all your hard work.

DIY summer series: Decking

With these DIY tips on tiled outdoor decking, the great outdoors just got greater.

DIY summer series: Exterior Painting

Exterior paint work is about more than just aesthetics…

Big things for small spaces: Part 1

Whether it’s a shoebox apartment, a workers cottage or a particularly cramped bedroom or kitchen, designing for a small space is challenging.

DIY summer series: Bathrooms

Next to your kitchen, the bathroom is one of the most renovated spaces in your home.

DIY summer series: Kitchens

It’s one of the most renovated spaces in a home, and it’s no surprise why. A kitchen overhaul is one of the most effective ways to make your home more comfortable, livable and valuable.

DIY summer series: Painting

Should you start with the ceilings? Go room by room? Buy the top brands or risk the cheapest? Here we get the inside story on how to tackle a paint job.

Big things for small spaces: Part 5

Two of the most important spaces in any house: the kitchen and the bathroom. They are also the areas where space is a commodity.

Big things with small spaces: Part 4

Did you know there are design opportunities in small spaces that large spaces just don’t have? We find out what they are here.

Big things with small spaces: Part 3

If you’re an architect or designer your ideal brief is for a largish house on a largish site with a largish budget, yes? Not so for Anna Huppauf, an architect who specialises in inner-city renovations on small sites with tight budgets.

Big things with small spaces: Part 2

Want to make the most of a small space using just your furniture? Choose your pieces carefully and follow these rules.

Energy efficient homes: your ultimate how-to design guide (Parts 1-4)

What is an energy efficient home? And more importantly, how do you design one OR, renovate your existing home to make it more energy efficient and comfortable?

The cost of renovating a living space

Renovating a living space can be an effective way to transform the interior of your home, and even your lifestyle. But what costs do you need to consider?

What is the cost of an extension?

A second storey addition is one of the most common renovations undertaken by Australian homeowners – but how much is it going to cost you?

What does it cost to renovate a bathroom?

An increasing number of homeowners are deciding to renovate rather than sell, with the bathroom one of the first spaces to get the makeover. But what is the cost of a bathroom renovation?

What does it cost to renovate a kitchen?

Today’s kitchen is the centerpiece of the house. By renovating this space you can add value to your home as well as improve your lifestyle…but what does a kitchen makeover cost?

What does it cost to renovate an attic?

An attic can add between $80,000 and $150,000 to the value of your home. But what kind of upfront investment does it require?

What to expect during a project build

Provided your site is suitable, this can easily be the most cost effective path to a new home.

How do I manage my build?

For many Australians, working with a designer and a builder to create a customised home is the ultimate dream. But what is the process like?

Should I consider a project build?

How do you know if a project home build is right for you? And what kind of savings can you realise by going with a volume builder?

How do I create a construction budget?

Construction costs can be notoriously difficult to estimate, but a detailed budget and specific financial plan will prevent you from encountering large unforeseen costs during the build.

Should I become an owner builder?

What skills do I need to become an owner builder? What’s involved throughout the plan, the design and the build, and what are the benefits?

How do I find and work with my builder?

With so many builders out there, how do you know if one is right for you and your project? And how do you avoid problems once the job is underway?

Is an architect or building designer right for me?

Whether you go with a building design or a fully accredited architect, you need to be sure your building professional is on the same page as you.

Should I build a new home instead of renovate?

Love your location but dislike your house? Find out what you’re in for if you’re considering a new build.

How to futureproof your home: shading (part 2)

Unprotected glass and walls are often the greatest source of unwanted heat in a home.

How to futureproof your home: shading (part 1)

Shading can block 90% of heat gained from sunlight and is one of the easiest, cheapest and most effective ways of maintaining a home’s thermal comfort.

How to futureproof your home: glazing

In both hot and cold climates, double-glazing can improve a home’s thermal performance by a third.

How to futureproof your home: sarking

When assessing the retrofit options to make your home more sustainable, comfortable and cost effect, sarking should be one of your first port of calls.

How to futureproof your home: reverse brick veneer

When it comes to renovating your home to be sustainable now and in the future, reverse brick veneer is a radical and practical solution.

How do I create a renovation budget

Renovation costs are notoriously difficult to calculate, but with detailed planning and preliminary cost estimates you can keep your budget under control.

How to renovate for profit

Renovating is a realistic and achievable way to build wealth quickly, according to Australia’s renovating queen Cherie Barber. Here’s how she does it.

How to manage your tradesperson

Deciding on a tradesperson? Insist on references and remember that the tradie with the least amount of marketing material is often the best, according to project manager Sarah Wood.

How do I plan my renovation?

Renovating is a long-term investment that can have some serious consequences for your future living costs and quality of life – so you want to make sure you get it right.

How to design and build for a hot climate?

Expert advice on building and designing in extreme heat. The importance of shading external walls with eaves, creating uninhibited cross ventilation and more.

How do I design for a fire-prone area?

How proper window seals save lives, and more. If you live near the bush, knowing how your new home should be designed for a fire-zone is essential.

How do I design for a cyclone?

Knowing how your home should be designed and build to withstand this extreme weather could be a lifesaver. Start by maximizing your anchor points.

How do I design for a flood?

Want to protect your house with good flood design? Start by eliminating the need for retaining walls and by building off the ground.

How do I create a sustainable kitchen?

This week hear from sustainable design and construction specialist Sharon Hamilton from Your Abode.

The key to a great kitchen space

The key to a great kitchen is creating a fit for purpose space, according to kitchen design expert Nadia Herskie, from Blue Tee Design.

Creating the kitchen of your dreams

Want the kitchen of your dreams? Gavin Hepper, owner of award winning kitchen design firm Concepts shares his expert advice.

Kitchen and bathroom trends

Two of the most important areas in any house: the kitchen and the bathroom. We tap the expertise of a number of experts to help you create a space in your own home that suits the way you love to live.

How colour evolves

Di Swinbourne, head of colour at Sydney Design School, explains how colour trends evolve, and where they are headed in the future.

Creating your own colour palette

Author, interior stylist, and colourist Sibella Court explains what it takes to create your own colour palette.

Creating the perfect colour scheme

Interior designer and colourist Rickki Stubbs, explains how to create the perfect colour scheme throughout your own home.

How to build your own deck

Horst Lueckl – director of GJ Gardner Homes North Sydney – explains the in’s and out’s of building a deck, and says new materials are giving the traditional wooden deck a run for its money.

How to save water in your home

Water expert Tony Robinson provides insightful and practical advice on how to save water throughout the home.

Green Building Show EP 14 – summer DIY

In the lead up to the long awaited summer holiday, the Light Home team will take a look art some DIY projects that homeowners can do in and around their own homes.

Green Building Show EP 13 – Can a sustainable renovation add value to your home?

This week we wrap up our series on Green Renovation. Carlos Martinez sits down with Jeff Perkins, a property valuer who explains how a sustainable renovation can have an impact on the value of a home.

Green Building Show EP 12 – ensuring your renovation is sustainable

This week on the Green Building Show we continue our investigation into green renovations.

Green Building Show EP 11 – the problem with greenwash

This week, Carlos Martinez speaks with David Baggs, CEO of material certifier Global Green Tag.

Green Building Show Episode 10: what is a green renovation?

This week on the Green Building Show we begin a brand new series on Green Renovation.

We’re going to find out what a Green Renovation is, what you need to know in order to do one yourself, and how it can benefit your family, your bank balance and the environment.

The Green Building Show EP 9 – building an energy efficient home

In this episode we wrap up our series on the energy efficient home. Carlos Martinez speaks with Marc Emans, the co-owner of eco designer homes to get the builder’s perspective on designing and constructing a sustainable, and energy efficient home.

The Green Building Show EP 8 – creating a 9.5 star rated home

In the show this week, Carlos Martinez speaks with Sophie Barrett, a building designer who describes the process she followed to created a lightweight home that’s achieved a 9.5 star rating, for under $250,000.

Energy ratings explained

Energy assessor Anthony Nolen to help us make sense of the plethora of rating schemes and tools throughout Australia.

Green Building Show Episode 6: Key drivers of an energy efficient home, tropical housing series, green jewellry, the business case for solar

This week on the Green Building Show we continue our investigation into the energy efficient home. Carlos Martinez sits down with Steve King, a senior lecturer of architecture at the University of New South Wales, to find out the key drivers of energy efficiency within a home.

Green Building Show Episode 5: What is an energy efficient home? Green furniture; Lightweight apartments; Weatherboarding vs extreme weather

This week on the Green Building Show we begin our series on the energy efficient home, to find out what energy efficiency is and why you should care. To kick off the series Carlos Martinez sits down with Richard Hyde, a professor of architecture at the University of Sydney.

Episode 4: The key to carbon neutral, light-weight in Currumbin, re-inventing the light bulb, advice from Kevin McCloud

This week on the Green Building Show we wrap up our series on the carbon neutral home. Carlos Martinez speaks with Craig Riddle on what it really takes to get a truly carbon neutral home.

Episode 3: Designing a carbon neutral home, sustainable Stradbroke, prefab electrical, lightweight flooring alternatives

This week on the Green Building Show we delve deeper in the carbon neutral home, we bring you the week’s hottest new product, we assess a lightweight and sustainable home on North Stradbroke Island, and we answer your questions.

Where is the carbon in my home? Fremantle’s sustainable gem, structural insulation panels vs traditional framing, the underside of eaves.

Episode 2: This week in the Green Building Show we continue our investigation into the carbon Neutral Home, bring you the week’s hottest design and building trends, assess one of WA’s most sustainable homes, and answer your questions.

The carbon neutral home – what is it and why you should care; You Asked Us, Ambassador’s Choice, What’s Hot and Steal that Idea.

Welcome to first episode of The Green Building Show, the weekly podcast about green design and building.

Sustainable flooring: concrete alternative

Even the DIY savvy among us can experience a sense of dread at the thought of pouring, leveling and polishing a concrete slab for an internal floor space. But what are the alternatives?

Green building materials: Axolotl launches ‘world first’ concrete door range

Architectural products supplier Axolotl has released a ‘world first’ door range that appears as though cast from solid concrete, but carries none of the associated risks or restrictions.

Sustainable building: creating a carbon neutral home

Offsetting the green house gas emissions created throughout the construction of a home is no easy task, but with sustainable building design and the use of natural products you can be well on your way to cutting your home’s environmental impact.

Rebates axed but solar still on the rise

The Queensland Government has axed its $1,000 solar hot water rebate for households, but solar providers say they won’t go down without a fight.

Green design: Sydney’s green policy push

The City of Sydney is on a green crusade: one policy in development will encourage roof gardens while another may see investment in sustainably-designed property become more profitable.

Sustainable design takes the lead in Canberra

A new development in Canberra’s CBD – boasting Geothermal heating and cooling systems, and integrated wastewater systems – has become the pilot project for a new sustainability rating tool.

Sustainable design: where form meets green

Light Home rounds up the most inspiring eco-friendly design pieces from Sydney’s recent designEX show.

Sustainable living: Brisbane’s first ‘eco-village’

A group of like-minded Brisbane residents have set out to create the city’s first sustainable community, where occupants will not only live with a low carbon footprint but embrace a co-operative lifestyle including shared facilities.

Affordable building: Sloping sites

Building on a slope is most builders’ worst nightmare. As well as the design challenges, there is the issue of earthwork and the ongoing problem of effective drainage to be solved.

Affordable building: Building with panels

Affordable building: Building with panels

Affordable building: Carpenters are key

It’s no secret that building a new home isn’t cheap. In fact, it’s possibly the single most expensive project you’ll undertake in your lifetime.

However, there are ways and means of saving money to make the experience more affordable.

Healthy home: How to prevent mould

Mould: it may seem innocuous but this all-too-common household problem is in fact a silent health hazard. Here’s how to prevent it.

Healthy home: How much technology is too much?

It’s everywhere. No matter how hard you might try to avoid it, it’s all over your home, most likely it surrounds you all day at work, it’s in your car and it’s probably in your pocket 90% of the time, too.

Healthy homes: Plants are a lifeline

Plants could hold the secret to a simple, easy, cheap and fail-safe way to improve your home’s health.

Energy efficiency basics: building an eco home

Passive solar design, grey water recycling, solar panels, bio pools and light bulbs. Knowing where to start when you’re designing an energy-efficient home – or making eco changes to your property – can be tough.

Water recycling: How to recycle blackwater

It sounds nasty and it sounds out of the question, but it’s not. There are systems out there that make it possible to clean and re-use the sewage generated from your home.

Water recycling: the lowdown on greywater systems

Did you know you could save thousands of litres of water every year by getting to grips with greywater?

Green outdoors: Bio pools and how they work

We love our swimming pools in Australia. In the summer months, they’re pretty much an essential.

Green windows: What is WERS?

Choosing energy efficient windows for your home can mean the difference between sweating it out indoors or getting the right amount of heat in – and out.

Protect your home from bushfires: Part 2

To ensure your home is safe in a bushfire prone area, look at your building design, know your bushfire plan and commit yourself to ongoing maintenance!

Protect your home from bushfires: Part 1

Making a home safe in a bushfire prone area starts with the basics: creating a defendable space and removing excess vegetation.

Green Cities Conference 2012 – Rating Tool Revolution: Part 2

The future of energy and water efficiency ratings for green buildings will see current rating tools merge into one according to a leading panel of sustainability experts from the Green Cities 2012 conference.

Green renovating – an expert’s tips, part 5

Vertical ventilation is the key to cooling your home without having to use electricity argues solar consultant and architect, Derek Wrigley.

Green renovating – an expert’s tips, part 4

Locating building materials so that they absorb, store and release heat in all the right places is a aspect of designing an energy efficient home.

Green renovating – an expert’s tips, part 3

Free heat? Now that’s worth having. Here’s a simple tip on making the most of wasted sunshine to help make your home more energy efficient.

Green renovating – an expert’s tips, part 2

With a moving source of heat energy a seasonally adjustable sun shade device combined with small eaves, makes far more sense than fixed eaves, argues architect and solar consultant Derek Wrigley.

Green renovating – an expert’s tips, part 1

Do you want to sacrifice glamour for comfort? In a new six-part series we share the top tips from architect and solar consultant Derek Wrigley on putting comfort first.

Speed date a sustainable designer

Hundreds of homeowners will be hooking up with leading architects and building designers for the annual ‘Speed Date a Sustainable Designer’ event this weekend.

Green light: LED lighting more energy efficient

Commonly used to light up gadgets and everyday household appliances since the 1960s, LED lights are now outshining fluorescent and incandescent bulbs as the best alternative for energy-efficient lighting.

Green building: the zero carbon home

Building an affordable house with zero carbon emissions is now a reality for everyday Australian families thanks to the latest CSIRO project.

Sustainable Building – The Vertical Forest

Should we be expanding vertically in urban areas rather than spreading out in urban sprawl?

Green Undressed: Green Roofing – Steel vs Tiles

How do I choose between tiles or steel for my roof?

Green Undressed: Green Cement

Greening the concrete jungle just came a step closer with an eco-friendly alternative to traditional concrete.

Green flooring: How green is linoleum flooring?

In our search to find the greenest flooring material possible, we look at linoleum, a flooring choice making a comeback.

Green flooring: How green is hardwood flooring?

In our search to find the greenest flooring material possible, we check out hardwood’s credentials.

Green flooring: How green is bamboo flooring?

In our search to find the greenest flooring material possible, we see how bamboo stacks up.

Green flooring: How green is rubber flooring?

We’re looking at the most sustainable flooring options on the market. This week we’re checking out rubber’s green credentials.

Green products reviewed: green flooring

In our search to find the greenest flooring material possible, we’re looking at the most sustainable flooring options on the market.

Green building explained: Are you in hot water?

Hot water is one of the biggest energy guzzlers in the home. Here are two ways to use hot water smarter

Green building explained: How green is your roof?

Green roofs vs rooftop garden: While typical rooftop gardens are primarily an aesthetic feature of a buildings ‘roofscape’ the green roof embodies proven sustainable concepts.

Green lighting: Make the switch to LEDs.

Save money and the environment by making the switch to a more efficient type of lighting: LEDs.

Green lighting: Make the switch to CFL.

We take a look at how you can save money and the environment by making the switch to more efficient types of lighting.

Green lighting: Why you need to make the switch.

We take a look at energy efficient lighting and why all households should make the switch.

Green building: The science behind solar panels.

We take a look at the science behind one of the most talked-about alternative energy sources in the world today.

Green building explained: Building with reconstituted limestone blocks.

We delve into R-values in response to a reader’s question about using reconstituted lime blocks.

Sustainable Building: The 10 Star Challenge

Designers are stepping up to the challenge of designing a 10 star home.

Green kitchens: How green is stainless steel?

In our last green kitchen post, we take a look at just how green stainless steel is to use to deck out a sustainable kitchen, and find out what materials Sydney couple Vanessa and Dan Winter have selected to use in their green kitchen.

Green kitchen: How green is bamboo?

Want to get the most sustainable kitchen possible but don’t know what products to use? Over the past two weeks we’ve followed Sydney couple Vanessa and Dan Winter on their search for the greenest possible kitchen. This week, we take a look at how well bamboo stacks up.

Green kitchens: How green is plywood?

Last week we introduced you to Vanessa and Dan Winter, a Sydney couple on a search to find the most sustainable materials for their new kitchen. This week, we’re taking a look at how well plywood stacks up.

Sustainable Building: How to get a green kitchen

“How do I design a kitchen that uses sustainable materials?” From plywood to bamboo to stainless steel, we’ll research just how green these materials are to help you can create a green kitchen of your own.

Sustainable Building: What’s green about pre-fabricated huts?

When you’re thinking green, smaller is often better.

Sustainable Building: What makes an 8 star home?

While a 6 star energy rating is good, we look at what it took to build this 8 star home.

Sustainable Building: Why double brick is nuts in Perth

Challenging convention in the double-brick market of Perth.

Sustainable Building: How to fix the weakest link

Glazing has a very big impact on the energy efficiency of a home. But what do you do if you’ve got too much facing the wrong way?

Sustainable Building: Design demo

How a design duo is using their own urban infill project to explore green building and an urban farm.