Resources
VALUE ENGINEERING – HOW TO CHOP THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OFF YOUR BUILD
When designing your home and potentially even more so, when selecting your fixtures and fittings, little changes can have a huge impact. This week we had a meeting with one of our clients and the builder to discuss the quote to see how we could reduce the build...
read moreThe 20/20 House part 17 – Working on the finer detail
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. It seems like time is just running away from us. According to our original plan we would have started construction already a few months ago. But given how busy we...
read moreWINNER SUSTAINABILITY AWARD 2019 BLACKBURN HOME
Double storey extension to a heritage home built by Algernon Elmore. Located in the leafy suburb of Blackburn, our project is a clever example of a heritage listed two bedroom cottage being transformed into a high energy efficient family house. Featuring sustainable...
read moreCreative Part-time Office Manager / PA
Creative Part-time Office Manager / PA We are an award-winning team of building designers, designing beautiful energy efficient & sustainable homes for future generations. We are proud to be a sustainable business and are looking for a likeminded candidate, who is as...
read moreWhy should you try to avoid town planning if possible? Part 3 A Case Study
Why should you try to avoid town planning if possible? Part 2 – How it can impact your design
In my last blog, I wrote about how challenging it can be when you need to get a planning permit. It is not just enough to follow all the rules and regulations. There are a lot of planning regulations that can be interpreted in different ways. What one planner might...
read moreWhy should you try to avoid town planning if possible? Part 1 Time & Money
Don’t get me wrong, councils and planning permits are important and there are some instances you cannot get around it, due to a certain overlay or because you are doing a subdivision. But for many sites, if you follow all the regulations and guidelines you will not...
read moreHow to apply the KonMari Method to designing your dream home?
The goal of the KonMari Method is to have a house full of items that spark joy. What is the KonMari Method? The KonMari Method is Marie Kondo's minimalism-inspired approach to tackling your stuff category-by-category rather than room-by-room. There are six basic...
read moreThe 20/20 House Part 16 – No planning permit
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. No Planning Permit needed? Oh wow, it’s been over 8 months since I’ve written an update on our own passive house. Life has been rather crazy and busy. Working on...
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We are moving
We had such an amazing year and our family has been growing so quickly that it is time to move to a bigger office. From the 8th of April you will find us at our great new office at 155a Canterbury Road in Heathmont. Please be aware that our response time might be...
read moreRenovate on any Budget -Sanctuary Magazine Issue 46
Wanting to improve your home but don’t know where to start or how far your money will stretch? Our experienced designer Simone Schenkel shares her tips for sustainable renovations with a starting budget of $10,000 through to$350,000-plus in the latest issue of the...
read moreThe importance of shading, even when building a passive house.
I had the pleasure to volunteer for the Passive House Australia Association and help out with the Ice Box Challenge. An Australian-first. The idea is a physical demonstration of the benefits of Passive House construction. Two boxes are placed in the elements for 12...
read moreWork with us: Contractor required: Experienced Revit Draftsperson
Contractor required: Experienced Revit Draftsperson This is a great opportunity for an experienced building designer / draftsperson who is as passionate about sustainable design as we are to join our Gruen Eco Design family. We need help on a range of diverse...
read more10 Ways to Make Your Office More Eco-Friendly > Guest Blog Isaac Church
Even with environmental consciousness at an all-time high, modern offices are rarely eco-friendly. Reams of paper are used each day, and huge amounts of energy are expended to keep the lights on and maintain a comfortable temperature. But making your office...
read moreHow does your house cope with fluctuating temperatures?
The weather over the last few weeks has been quite unusual and unpredictable. I think since arriving to Australia in 2007 I haven’t experienced such a cold February. Don’t get me wrong, this is much better than the high 40 degrees days. But it makes me a bit sad, how...
read moreHow building a certified passive house can be cheaper than building a regular energy efficient home
I had an interesting meeting with potential clients, who wanted to build a new home. They are currently looking at a potential vacant site to buy and we had been discussing the pros and cons. But also, the difference between a home that is designed according to...
read moreNew additions to our Gruen Eco Design Family
Thanks to everyone who has applied for the position of our new lead designer. The position has now been filled. In fact, we had such great applicants that we have decided to welcome 2 new members into our Gruen Eco Design family. We are very excited to have an...
read moreWhy I can’t wait to move out of my 8.4 star house into my own passive house
Don’t get me wrong. I really do like our current house and I definitely don’t want to sound snotty. As some of you might know, we had renovated our brick veneer unit a few years ago and had turned the cold and draughty 0.8 star house into a comfortable 8.4 star home....
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