Sustainability Architecture: 4 Homes with Sustainable Design Principles

Sustainability is elemental to modern design, shaping the ways in which contemporary homes are conceived in response to the environmental pressures of their context, infiltrating the design in all aspects from layout, to material choices. These four impeccable homes showcase a myriad of methods in which sustainability principles can be innovatively incorporated into contemporary design, producing projects that are completed for longevity.

Naples Street

Located in Box Hill, Victoria, Naples Street by Edition Office offers a secluded oasis from the surrounding suburban Melbourne streets. Designed in conversation with its environment, the open-plan aspect of the house is purpose-built to hero its context, inviting the natural environment inside the home through the incorporation of a central courtyard around which the house is constructed. Carbon neutral bricks from the Bowral Bricks range are utilised throughout the exterior of the home, emitting a warm, neutral aesthetic that complements the surrounding natural landscape. As part of Brickworks’ latest Carbon Neutral Offsetting Program, this choice of materiality is fundamental in reducing the environmental impact of the build, showcasing materiality that is designed for sustainability without compromising the visual interest of the home.

Mygunyah by the Circus

A true unification of old and new, Mygunyah by the Circus by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design heroes contemporary materials to introduce sustainable elements to a traditional façade. The home’s second pavilion exhibits Nubrik Traditional Acland Cream carbon neutral bricks from the Daniel Robertson range, manufactured in Brickworks’ Austral Bricks Longford operation in Tasmania. Certified carbon neutral in 2013, it is singular in being the only certified carbon neutral brick manufacturing plant in Australia to date. A paragon of considered, contemporary design, Mygunyah by the Circus showcases the versatility of sustainable materials, highlighting both their environmental benefit and aesthetic appeal.

“Sustainability is elemental to modern design, shaping the ways in which contemporary homes are conceived in response to the environmental pressures of their context, infiltrating the design in all aspects from layout to material choice.”

Vikki’s Place

Through Vikki’s Place, Curious Practice has directly addressed the environmental challenges presented by the home’s location of Newcastle, New South Wales. Physical constraints including the low-lying elevation of the home, a mere metre above sea level, left the site vulnerable to flooding. Utilising GB Masonry Honed blocks in Porcelain to elevate the home to 1.6 metres, Curious Practice ensured through their design the longevity of the property despite environmental factors, whilst offering a low-maintenance solution for the flood-prone location. This responsiveness to the environment through materiality has also conveyed the ability to make design-forward architectural choices within environmentally abrasive locations.

Harriet’s House

So. Architecture introduces contemporary sustainability principles to a heritage structure through their design of Harriet’s House. Located within the harsh Tasmanian environment, So. Architecture incorporated carbon neutral bricks in the project as a low-maintenance option, not only built to withstand the myriad of climate pressures of Tasmania, but also to preserve the historical integrity of the building. The integration of this material choice demonstrates how heritage preservation can be conducted with modern sustainability principles, ensuring the longevity of the project within its environmental context whilst also paying homage to its original design.