Renovating Resources

  • Girasole – Canberra’s Rotating House

    The Girasole House in Canberra is pushing boundaries of what’ is possible in home design and passive orientation. Operated by a touch screen panel, the home can fully rotate in less than 10 minutes so you can rotate with the sun.

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  • Current Water Rebates

    Whether it’s for the garden or inside the house, there are a range of water rebates available for your property. See our summary and links to the current national and state water rebates.

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  • Current Energy Rebates

    Check out our state-wide table with links to the current national and state energy rebates available to help you make changes to the energy efficiency of your home.

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  • Renovating a 1970s Classic

    This family found a classic “Sydney School” designed house with a great north orientation, beautiful bush setting and good bones then set about improving their little piece of paradise.

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  • The Renovators Guide to the 17 Things™

    Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when you want to create a home that will deliver health, efficiency, comfort and connection to your local community. So we’ve put it all together for you. It’s called The 17 Things™.

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  • Petersham Terrace Transformation

    Meet architect Caroline Pidcock and her design for an old terrace renovation in Petersham. The extension is filled with light and comfortable spaces for the family.

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  • Renovating ‘Right’ from the Start

    Passive building design is an aspect of good building design. There are seven key elements which can be used to design homes that are naturally heated and cooled and therefore require minimal mechanical heating or cooling.

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  • Finding Your Way Through Terminology

    A glossary to guide you through the terminology associated with building or renovating a sustainable home. Let us know through our Ask The Expert section if we’ve missed anything and we’ll add it.

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  • Habitech’s Hampton Extension

    Good prefab design can provide high-quality buildings, to budget and on time so a prefab solution for their renovation was just the ticket for this Melbourne family.

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  • Comparing Home Energy Rating Assessments

    Currently, there are many different home energy rating assessments available for the property owner to measure a properties potential energy and/or and water efficiency. Our comparative table helps you make sense of all the home energy rating tools (software) available; what they assess, what they cost and the rating they provide.

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  • Transforming a 1920’s Brick Bungalow

    Kirsten Aberle and David Mason always knew they would renovate the 1920s red brick bungalow they bought in 2004. When daughter Elizabeth was born three years later, it was time to extend.

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  • The Complete Manual for Sustainable Renovations

    Your Home is a great reference book – it’s Australia’s definitive guide to environmentally sustainable homes and all issues concerning a home renovation, especially the climate zone you live in.

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  • Solar PV for Homeowners – The Guide

    The Clean Energy Council’s Guide to Solar PV is a free, easy-to-use guide, which takes you through a simple seven-step process to help you select the ideal solar system for your needs.

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  • Designing for re-use – PET Lamps by Alvaro Catalán de Ocón.

    Many plastic bottles are quickly consumed and thrown away; yet when viewed from a design perspective, Alvaro Catalán de Ocón discovered that PET bottles had the potential to be transformed into a functional product.

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  • Quick Tips: Talking to An Architect

    A good design requires a good architect and a client who is engaged in the project. Architect Caroline Pidcock shares tips on getting the most from your first meeting with your architect or designer.

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  • Beautifully Crafted Cabins

    These Natural Cabins are a testament to Noek Witzand’s three passions: the power of design, the beauty of the natural world and how both enhance ones well-being.

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  • Creating a Coastal Hideaway

    This wonderful holiday house was designed for a semi-retired couple but can accommodate their extended family when visiting. Compactness has been achieved by carefully designing space with multiple uses and clever storage solutions.

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  • What is the Living Building Challenge?

    Caroline Pidcock provides an overview of this design challenge; an inspiring opportunity to create buildings that function elegantly and efficiently, now and as the future unfolds.

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  • Quick Tips: Water Efficient Showerheads

    If you’ve decided you don’t like water efficient showerhead because of the showering experience they provide, it might be a good time to revisit the new models on the market.

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  • The Breuer House – a place to ‘be’

    Memory is the essence of the Breuer House – gathering, sharing and making memories. This family home design looks out to a tree canopy and incorporates ideas of modernism, the bushscape and affordability.

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  • Quick Tips: Choosing LED Lights

    Great news! Lighting that is high quality, energy efficient and affordable is obtainable. Here are six tips for choosing the LED lighting that gives you the best illumination and value for money from Brightgreen.

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  • Using the Power of the Sun

    The amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth every year in the form of solar radiation is equivalent to more than 3,000 times the annual world energy requirements!

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  • A Rotating Writing Studio

    Underneath George Bernard Shaw’s little writing studio was a manually operated rotating floor base. Check out the plans to see how easy it was to make.

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  • Quick Tips: Choosing a Solar PV Retailer

    Installation of solar panels on the roof of your house or building needs to be done by an installer accredited by the Clean Energy Council to ensure your system meets industry standards.

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  • Guide to Prefab and Modular Homes

    Here’s our easy reference Liveability Poster Guide to Prefab and Modular Homes, which lists Australian prefab companies. Find out about the different approaches to prefabrication, and varying advantages and applicability for different projects.

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  • BDAV People’s Choice Award

    Each year, more and more beautiful, efficient and smart homes are being built to promote a healthy, comfortable and affordable lifestyle. Here are are some standouts to inspire you!

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  • Solar Tips: Buying Solar Power

    Getting quotes for solar can be a daunting task. The Clean Energy Council recommends following these top tips when buying a solar power system so you can prepare well for the best outcome.

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  • The ‘Connected’ Home

    Architect Ben Callery demonstrates how much joy can be found when one designs to connect people together within a building and its garden, using carefully chosen, life enhancing materials.

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  • Prefab Homes in Action

    Built on an ultra-steep site on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, the prefab TEKTUM SPACE2.0 is a compact family home. See it “come to life” with a time lapse video of the 5-day construction.

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  • Healthy Water Temperature

    Hot water is used to clean our dishes, the laundry and our bodies so meeting the minimum water temperature is essential for the health of everyone in your home.

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