Articles

Every problem I had making rice husk blocks came from asking one material to be strong and insulating at the same time. It turns out it doesn’t have to be.

Rice husk. Insulative, natural, breathable, mould-resistant, fire-resistant, and a cheap waste product. Now I just need to figure out how to make it stick together.

This 36-year-old cottage at the bottom of the garden needed a rethink. Cold in winter, hot in summer, draughty, energy-guzzling… and the deeper I looked, the more problems emerged.

The best space is made with love and care, of natural materials, by you. Here is the story of a tiny hemp-lime hut. Built in 2025 at a cost of $11,000.

A disappointingly common story in Australia: ceiling insulation tossed aside by electricians, plumbers, or HVAC installers.

How to breathe well (without freezing). Solving indoor air quality and mould problems using mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.

The story of a new house in Canberra (Australia) that failed to protect against winter cold and summer heat. How did this happen? What can be done to fix it?

For transparency, progress and accountability of a model that is central to the Australian residential building sector affecting millions. (Ownership can remain with CSIRO.)

Insulating 1969-era architectural downlights in a raked ceiling.

What are the goals of housing energy efficiency regulation? How does the current system deliver on those goals?

NatHERS really likes concrete floors. If you don’t have a concrete slab, you will have a hard time getting your star rating. But this depends on at least two questionable assumptions.

Or to put it another way, NatHERS lets big houses off the hook. In two ways. Because small houses naturally have more surface area; and energy use limits are per square metre, not per house.

I needed a place to store and use my tools. A shed-workshop. I made it as soundproof as I could, for the neighbours (or maybe just to learn about soundproofing). Construction took 2-3 months and cost $6k.

A hut. An art studio. A home office. A climate refuge. Built in 4 months for $35k, this is a demonstration of my philosophy of comfort and energy efficiency.

I’m travelling in New Zealand. There’s a lot that’s familiar coming from Australia. But one thing that stood out for me is that they shrink-wrap their building sites.