Green Magazine #85 May-Jun 20222

In every issue, either overtly or discreetly, we present houses that have considered sustainability in one form or another, whether it be via scale, craftsmanship, thermal efficiency, material reuse or technology. In this issue we highlight a few houses that have gone further in their efforts to push the envelope. One uses Passive House principles to create a healthy, efficient home, another looks beyond energy, water and waste to biophilia and air quality, and a third demonstrates how to create a comfortable off-grid home. Our feature houses comprise of two that demonstrate the beautiful attention to detail of small spaces, another takes a 90-year-old home and updates it using recycled and reclaimed materials along with new technology, and a fourth carefully considers site and scale in a sensitive bush setting. Elsewhere we celebrate…

Urban harvesting Reframing chopsticks from waste to resource, circular economy franchise, ChopValue, has diverted 38 million chopsticks from landfill creating carbon-neutral homewares and furniture for the home and office. Scaling their operations with 38 microfactories in development globally, this could be the beginning of our carbon-neutral manufacturing future. chopvalue.com Design + dignity Refettorio OzHarvest is a new community hub in Sydney promising beauty, dignity, and food for the socially vulnerable. Two years in the making it is based on a zero-waste philosophy where rescued ingredients will be transformed by OzHarvest chefs into vegetarian dishes with the menu changing weekly. Handcrafted furniture from the TON Collection was donated by James Richardson Furniture. refettorioozharvestsydney.org jrf.com.au On the move Highlighting temporality and change, Milly Dent’s "Psyche III" gives the illusion of movement through form, tactility and texture, paying homage to the…

Not so long ago, woodworking was dominated by men, but things are changing. A recent exhibition at Sturt Gallery in the Southern Highlands called Beyond Ordinary showcased the work of nearly 30 women makers currently working in wood. The curators of the exhibition, Dale Dryen and Ruth Thompson, selected 28 women from all over Australia for the show. For them, this kind of representation is about encouraging women and girls into the field: “This is an opportunity for young girls to see that they can do anything they wish to in life, without the boundaries of gender stereotypes.” Tasmanian-based designer/maker Laura McCusker was one of the most experienced women in the show, with decades of making under her belt. She says she has noticed a big shift in culture from a male-dominated…

HEALTH DesignInc’s Stephen Webb says the brief for Bio-courtyard House grew from a glorious but exposed site opposite Middle Park Beach in bayside Melbourne and a “super-informed” client who was keen to adapt learnings from previous DesignInc projects. “That’s something we’re really passionate about – the experiential aspects of a healthy building, not just the energy, water and waste savings,” he says. “We should be looking at the whole package if we’re talking about sustainability.” The design maintains unobstructed views south to the sea and north to the city using a well-sealed thermal envelope, switchable glass on the main north-east elevation, and a verdant double-height internal courtyard that’s the biophilic heart and engine-room of the home. Planted with trees and edibles, and ringed with glass, it opens up to admit cooling breezes in summer…

There’s no disputing the renown of Danish design. Its creations have held their own through the decades and weathered the trends, earning admiration and acclaim for the Scandinavian country’s own definition of classic. It follows, then, that Danish taps and accessories maker VOLA has stayed true to its vision since 1968. In fact, the original VOLA products – a collaboration between VOLA owner Verner Overgaard and architect Arne Jacobsen – have remained unchanged for 50 years. “Five decades of expert knowledge, design and craft skills have come together to create and innovate products often imitated, but never equalled,” VOLA explains. “As well as designing the original modern-day tap, VOLA is also a multi award-winning brand that has brought modern Danish design to contemporary homes around the world.” Knowing that being timeless doesn’t mean…

Mornings in this pocket of bayside Albert Park in Melbourne are quiet and calm. Apart from the shoe stomping from the odd panting runner and the few local dogs being walked by owners along the sand, the bay with its distant flashing lights and shipping lanes is still and glassy. This calm before the storm, as it would seem, is promptly replaced by a hubbub of various modes of transportation zooming by, not more than a few metres from the sand bank. On the other side of this busy main road is the outer perimeter of a leafy residential area with minimal front setbacks, wide streets, and significant heritage built fabric. Topology Studio were commissioned to design a renovation of one of ten identical two-storey Victorian terraces built in the late 1800s,…