Resilient housing is becoming one of the most important ideas in Australian residential design. A future ready home should not only meet today’s minimum requirements. It should be able to remain comfortable, efficient, healthy and practical as climate, energy, water and living conditions continue to change.

Sustainable Materials and Waste in Residential Projects

Sustainable materials and waste reduction are important parts of better residential design. A home can be energy efficient and comfortable, but if it relies on high impact materials, short lived finishes or wasteful construction practices, its sustainability story is incomplete.

Operational Energy in Sustainable Housing

Operational energy is the energy a home uses once people are living in it. It includes the energy used for heating, cooling, hot water, cooking, lighting, appliances, pool equipment, plug in loads and sometimes electric vehicle charging. In sustainable housing, operational energy matters because it affects running costs, greenhouse gas emissions, comfort and long term residential performance.

Indoor Air Quality and Healthier Homes

Indoor air quality is one of the most important parts of a healthier home. A home may look sustainable from the outside, but if the indoor air is stale, damp, polluted or poorly ventilated, it may not support the people living inside it as well as it should.

How Glazing and Shading Affect Sustainable Home Performance

Glazing and shading are two of the most important design decisions in a sustainable home. Windows bring light, views, ventilation and connection to outside, but they can also create heat gain, heat loss, glare and comfort problems if they are not designed carefully.

What Makes a Sustainable Home in Australia?

A sustainable home in Australia is not defined by one product, appliance or rating alone. It is shaped by how the home responds to climate, how comfortable it feels, how much energy and water it uses, how healthy the indoor environment is and how well the home can adapt to future conditions.

Before lodging a Development Application or Complying Development Certificate in NSW, it is worth checking that the BASIX Certificate matches the plans, specifications and project details being submitted. BASIX is not just a form to attach at the end. It records the water, energy and thermal performance commitments that need to follow the project through approval, construction and final certification.

BASIX remains important at occupation certificate stage because the project needs to be built in accordance with the commitments shown on the BASIX Certificate. The certificate is not only a planning document. It follows the project through approval, construction and final certification.