News

AUSTRALIAN BUILDERS DECLARE MISSION

Builders Declare has been inspired by Australian architects who have united under the banner of Australian Architects Declare and are striving for urgent action to address our climate and biodiversity emergencies. In a world first, Australian builders now join architects in publicly acknowledging that we are in a climate emergency, and that business as usual…
THE SHARED ECONOMY MODEL IN HOUSING

Words by Steve Hansen | Published on July 4, 2017 in Sourceable.net The world’s most popular cities have a serious affordability problem. People of normal means have no hope of ever buying a home in places like Sydney and Melbourne. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average house price in Australia is now…
BRAND NEW SLUMS ?!

“It´s a pity to see those “concrete boxes” being build…why??? You got a unique chance of building from scratch and could do it in a modern and green way…but most houses I see in the new Africa (and in other places) look like that! A real pity and waste of opportunities to me…” Receiving some…
(RE)THINK – POST CORONA VISIONS

A comment in home insulation by Dipl.-Ing. Ronny Matzat (Architect MAA) Major societal changes and political upheavals in the history of mankind have always pushed and challenged, but also developed society and architecture. It will be the same this time around – before, during and post Corona. We architects must take responsibility for ensuring the…
5 TIPS TO ACHIEVE THE SAME EFFECT WITH LESS LIGHTS

HOW TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF LIGHTING FIXTURES YOU NEED… When it comes to indoor lighting, using only wattage and spacing to plan your fixture layout isn’t always the best idea… 1. Utilise Daylight Natural lighting is an often under utilised part of energy efficient design which can provide zero-energy carbon-neutral lighting, with 100% colour…
GOING GREEN UNDERFOOT

Words by Linda Moon | Published in WellBeing issue 179 Since the earliest homes, when what lay underfoot was most likely earth strewn with straw, options for flooring have exploded. Meanwhile, understanding what’s in a flooring product seems to require a chemistry degree plus the doggedness of a super-sleuth. You’ve settled on a timber-look floor.…
DESIGN SKILLZ

Because we are sooooo sick of the usual “sales shows” marketed as exciting networking meetings for the industry, DSGNK™ is collaborating with the Griffith University Eco Centre, Australian Green Development Forum (AGDF) and the Green Building Institute (GBI) to put on a bi-monthly event series in the Greater Brisbane area. DESIGN SKILLZ provides a free…
WHEN GIVEN THE RIGHT NUTRIENTS, IDEAS GROW AND THRIVE

A few years ago, I was introduced to the concept of hydroponics for gardening by this ted talk about using computers to grow food. Being an IT geek, I loved the idea of combining tech with growing your own food. With DSGNK being focused on sustainability, I got to meet Mark Thomson through Ronny at…
EFFICIENCY OVER QUALITY?

Last week I spend three days at the 3rd Modular Construction and Pre-Fabrication ANZ Conference in Sydney on behalf of the Green Building Institute. Besides doing a few short interviews with some of the speakers, I had the chance to listen to a series of very interesting presentations on topics like drones in construction, visualisation…
COMMUNITY TETRIS

DSGNK™ launches a housing concept based on the sharing economy for their entry in The Density and Diversity Done Well Design Competition – a joint initiative of the DILGP and the Urban Development Institute of Australia Queensland. Density and Diversity Done Well proposes a simple goal: to provide more affordable and innovative housing models for…
GBI WINS INNOVATION OF THE YEAR AWARD

We are stoked and proud to announce that the Green Building Online College by the Green Building Institute (GBI) won the Innovation of the Year award at the 2016 Sustainability Awards hosted by Architecture & Design Magazine last week. In its tenth year, the Sustainability Awards recognises environmentally sustainable building and design initiatives that go…
AMBA FLORETTE IN HOME DESIGN MAGAZINE

I still can remember how Amba Florette started and how I sat down with owner Amanda at a café in Palm Beach a few years ago to discuss the first steps. That’s where the photo above was taken – day one! Her passion for design and genuine environmental friendly products, which I could clearly see…