#13: Learning & sharing (23 February 2025)
Tips for affordable design and choosing land, fluoro roofs, 3D modelling, 140mm frames, and a 70s inspired kitchen....
Things I learned and things worth sharing….
Today is the last day to apply to be a featured home as part of Sustainable House Day 2025. I opened my home in 2024 (and intend to again this year) and it was such a great experience to be able to connect with like-minded folk who were genuinely curious about how to build and renovate better homes. Visit the Sustainable House Day website for more info.
Ben Walsham from ARKATA has written another detailed and helpful post - this one on the impact of roof ventilation on NatHERS. While I was poking around on the ARKATA website to find the link, I was pleased to see Ben’s case study of Michael and Kara’s house, which 35 South Building Co will be constructing this year (with site works due to commence next week). Always exciting to reach that point where all the planning actually becomes real!
Some great tips for a more affordable design and choosing a block of land from Designful.
Carland Constructions shared a post about why they’ve shifted to using 140mm timber framing - including some actual costs of making this upgrade from the standard 90mm frame. If I was to do my house again (and in my next one) I’d definitely look to do this.
Fluorescent roofing materials keep houses cool in summer and warm in winter: study
I spent the day in a workshop with Vision 2 Estimating and Wunderbuild which was great. So excited to be able to integrate 3D structural models into the 35 South Building Co process for better quality assurance, faster and more accurate estimating, and clearer on site communication. You can have a play with an example model here.
3D Structural Model - Vision 2 Estimating I continue to enjoy watching James Howe’s very honest takes on the state of Australian architecture and design!
Love love love the Laminex Moroccan Clay joinery in this kitchen. I followed the rabbit hole and discovered the apartment in question is part of the Wilam Ngarrang retrofit project - a ‘minimal intervention’ upgrade of a 70s apartment block in Melbourne by Kennedy Nolan.
