Best of the Week: 25 Eco Homes You'll Want to Emulate
Sustainable design makes so much sense for comfort and climate change that it's practically a no-brainer
New houses and renovations that sit lightly on the earth and make use of renewable energy are the way of the future. These homes take eco-design principles to the next level, using recycled and natural materials and incorporating clever features to create comfortable living environments that do the planet a favour.
And remember, you can get more details of a project and see more of a professional’s work by clicking on a photo.
And remember, you can get more details of a project and see more of a professional’s work by clicking on a photo.
2. Location: Stoneville, WA
Designer: Coveney Browne Design
Features: Inspired by the great Aussie shearing shed, this family home is orientated along an east-west axis and was designed with passive-solar principles firmly in mind.
Take a tour of this passive-solar house
Designer: Coveney Browne Design
Features: Inspired by the great Aussie shearing shed, this family home is orientated along an east-west axis and was designed with passive-solar principles firmly in mind.
Take a tour of this passive-solar house
4. Location: O’Connor, ACT
Designer: DNA Architects
Features: One of two new three-bedroom houses sit side-by-side and share a common water tank and garden.
Designer: DNA Architects
Features: One of two new three-bedroom houses sit side-by-side and share a common water tank and garden.
5. Location: Mundaring, WA
Designer: Abel Design
Features: Reused windows, recycled brick and concrete pavers are just some of the earth-friendly features of this 204-square-metre passive-solar home.
Designer: Abel Design
Features: Reused windows, recycled brick and concrete pavers are just some of the earth-friendly features of this 204-square-metre passive-solar home.
6. Location: Wilton, NSW
Designer: Whitehouse Concepts
Features: This eco-savvy home generates seven times the electricity it uses.
Designer: Whitehouse Concepts
Features: This eco-savvy home generates seven times the electricity it uses.
7. Location: Canberra, ACT
Designer: Adam Hobill : Design
Features: Orientating a house to optimise the winter sun is good news for energy bills.
Designer: Adam Hobill : Design
Features: Orientating a house to optimise the winter sun is good news for energy bills.
8. Location: USA
Features: Cooling cross-ventilation can be blissful in the warmer months. Concertina doors both sides of this dining area allow the owners to control the elements to their advantage.
Features: Cooling cross-ventilation can be blissful in the warmer months. Concertina doors both sides of this dining area allow the owners to control the elements to their advantage.
9. Location: Worcestershire, UK
Features: This 43-square-metre octagonal home is kind to the earth from top to bottom, inside and out. Hemp fibreboard and lime plaster inside make the walls breathable, and they’re insulated with wool…
Features: This 43-square-metre octagonal home is kind to the earth from top to bottom, inside and out. Hemp fibreboard and lime plaster inside make the walls breathable, and they’re insulated with wool…
…Here’s a peek at the interior.
10. Location: Katoomba, NSW
Designer: six b design
Features: A north-facing addition makes all the difference in the chilly winter months.
Designer: six b design
Features: A north-facing addition makes all the difference in the chilly winter months.
11. Location: Park City, USA
Features: A straw-bale home finished in lime plaster adds rustic charm and insulation in equal measures.
Features: A straw-bale home finished in lime plaster adds rustic charm and insulation in equal measures.
12. Location: Coburg, Victoria
Designer: Nest Architects
Features: Smart design creates plenty of room for a family of four within 80 square metres, and the energy bills are easy on the wallet…
Designer: Nest Architects
Features: Smart design creates plenty of room for a family of four within 80 square metres, and the energy bills are easy on the wallet…
…The family also grow succulents and herbs on their rooftop garden.
13. Location: Buckinghamshire, UK
Features: This certified passive house was built to exacting standards, and was the first of its kind in the large town of Milton Keynes in England.
Features: This certified passive house was built to exacting standards, and was the first of its kind in the large town of Milton Keynes in England.
14. Location: Galloway, Scotland
Features: This holiday cottage operates off the grid thanks to solar panels and plenty of insulation.
See more of this Scottish farm cottage
Features: This holiday cottage operates off the grid thanks to solar panels and plenty of insulation.
See more of this Scottish farm cottage
15. Location: Tonimbuk, Victoria
Designer: Maxa Design
Features: This energy-efficient home sits lightly on the land and pays homage to the iconic Australian wool shed.
Designer: Maxa Design
Features: This energy-efficient home sits lightly on the land and pays homage to the iconic Australian wool shed.
16. Location: Yarraville, Victoria
Designer: Altereco Design
Features: The old red brick paving from this site’s original backyard was reused as an internal/external wall for both aesthetics and thermal mass in this eco-wise renovation.
Read more about this Melbourne home
Designer: Altereco Design
Features: The old red brick paving from this site’s original backyard was reused as an internal/external wall for both aesthetics and thermal mass in this eco-wise renovation.
Read more about this Melbourne home
17. Location: Randwick, NSW
Designer: Day Bukh Architects
Features: A sustainable home that’s kept comfortable year-round using warmth from the sun, coolness from the air and water from the rain.
Designer: Day Bukh Architects
Features: A sustainable home that’s kept comfortable year-round using warmth from the sun, coolness from the air and water from the rain.
18. Location: Sydney, NSW
Designer: Viva Living Homes
Features: A straw-bale home can work just as well in the city as it does out in the country.
See more photos of this project
Designer: Viva Living Homes
Features: A straw-bale home can work just as well in the city as it does out in the country.
See more photos of this project
19. Location: Blackheath, NSW
Designer: MKC Building Design
Features: Along with straw-bale walls, this house incorporates materials such as recycled tyres and repurposed timber to create a comfortable abode that blends into its bush surrounds…
Designer: MKC Building Design
Features: Along with straw-bale walls, this house incorporates materials such as recycled tyres and repurposed timber to create a comfortable abode that blends into its bush surrounds…
…Here’s a look inside.
20. Location: The Pilbara, WA
Designer: Luigi Rosselli Architects
Features: Rammed-earth apartments dug into a sand hill make for cool and comfortable quarters for the workers on this remote cattle station.
Take a tour of this eco-friendly architecture in the Pilbara
Designer: Luigi Rosselli Architects
Features: Rammed-earth apartments dug into a sand hill make for cool and comfortable quarters for the workers on this remote cattle station.
Take a tour of this eco-friendly architecture in the Pilbara
21. Location: Trentham, Victoria
Designer: Glow Design Group
Features: The Building Designers Association of Victoria honoured this house with the 2015 award for Best Environmentally Sustainable Design.
Designer: Glow Design Group
Features: The Building Designers Association of Victoria honoured this house with the 2015 award for Best Environmentally Sustainable Design.
22. Location: Cape Tribulation, Queensland
Designer: m3architecture
Features: Smart design tempers the heat and humidity of tropical North Queensland.
Designer: m3architecture
Features: Smart design tempers the heat and humidity of tropical North Queensland.
23. Location: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Designer: Mihaly Slocombe
Features: Rammed earth and passive-solar design principles have made this house energy efficient.
Designer: Mihaly Slocombe
Features: Rammed earth and passive-solar design principles have made this house energy efficient.
24. Location: Denver, USA
Features: Just as straw-bale houses keep interiors cool in summer, so do they warm up homes in winter.
Features: Just as straw-bale houses keep interiors cool in summer, so do they warm up homes in winter.
25. Location: Hampton, Victoria
Designer: Blue Chip Builders
Features: With an energy rating of 7.3 stars, this new house and garden has sustainability sorted.
Tell us
Which of these eco homes would you like to call your own? Tell us the ones you love in the Comments below, like this story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
More
Craving more design inspiration? Don’t miss last week’s Best of the Week: 27 Clever Kitchen Set-Ups
Designer: Blue Chip Builders
Features: With an energy rating of 7.3 stars, this new house and garden has sustainability sorted.
Tell us
Which of these eco homes would you like to call your own? Tell us the ones you love in the Comments below, like this story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
More
Craving more design inspiration? Don’t miss last week’s Best of the Week: 27 Clever Kitchen Set-Ups
Designer: Fido Projects
Features: Recycled building materials add both charm and eco credentials.