Sustainable builder advice

A passion to help the environment and sustainable building go hand in hand these days, so who do you choose to build your home renovation? Find out what the experts think.

Q. What should someone look for when searching for a sustainable home builder?

A. It's about being passionate and having a good design sense for sustainable homes. We have a team of people and together we can bounce ideas off each other. I don't think any single person can know everything, but a whole team can apply their collective experience to the job.

Q. What are the benefits of getting an eco-friendly home designed?

A. There are so many benefits! You'll have a far more pleasant home to live in and you'll reduce your expenditure on electricity. Solar passive design is about working with nature, not fighting against it. By using what is naturally available, you can maximise your home's potential.

Q. What inspires your renovation work?

A. It's really good on the conscience. I'm passionate about creating a triple bottom line - minimising environmental impact, creating a socially acceptable design, and producing a home for a competitive price.

Q. Can you add environmentally friendly ideas to an existing house?

A. Of course you can, although it's more expensive than working from scratch. I want to look into this further, but at the moment there are other companies that are more expert than us in this field. It's an art form in itself.

Q. What if I want something that isn't totally sustainable?

A. Everyone has different sustainable priorities and we always want our customers to be happy with their new home. On the plus side, when you design a house from scratch a lot of the energy efficient, environmentally friendly elements can be used in the design at no extra cost, so it's a win win situation.

Q. What does it take to be a sustainable home builder?

A. To start with, you need a building qualification (such as from TAFE), and you've got to be passionate about reducing a building's environmental impact. I've also done a GreenSmart accredited course and I'm a qualified surveyor. You could also do a Diploma in Renewable Energy Technology like our designer has done.

Contact a home builder and find out if they can help you with your environmentally friendly home: