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The 20/20 House
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality.
The 20/20 House Part 27 – Selecting Fixtures, Fittings & Appliances
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream of an energy efficient home into a reality. Selecting Fixtures, Fittings & Appliances As our April construction start date approaches there are still a lot of things we have to select and put into our...
The 20/20 House Part 26 – We are slowly getting there: the 20/21 House
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream of an energy efficient home into a reality. Okay, we have a date!The plan is to start construction in April. Our tenants moved out last month. Services have been disconnected. And we are about to get the...
20/20 house – Part 25 Things are moving slowly: the 20/21 House
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream of an energy efficient home into a reality. Things are moving slowly: the 20/21 House What a year it has been. I’m kind of glad we made it into December and have returned to a new “Covid Normal”…. We had some...
The 20/20 House Part 24 – How to Chop Thousands off Your Passive House Build
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream of an energy efficient home into a reality. How to Chop Thousands off Your Passive House Build As some of you might have heard. Our mission at Gruen Eco Design is to make energy efficient homes a staple...
The 20/20 House Part 23 – Covid & Other Disruptions
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream of an energy efficient home into a reality. Just when we Melbournians thought we were through the worst of it and life was resembling some kind of normal, we find ourselves back in lockdown 2.0. Our Gruen Team...
The 20/20 House Part 22 – Report and Consent Approved
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream of an energy efficient home into a reality. Report and Consent Approved Yay! Finally: our report and consents are approved. You might remember, we had to get a report and consent to keep our reduced front...
The 20/20 House Part 21 – Protection Work Notice Signed
The 20/20 House Part 21 The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. Protection Work Notice Signed I thought it’s about time that I touch base to give you an update about where things are at. You might...
The 20/20 House Part 20 Build Over Easement Approval
The 20/20 House Part 20 The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. Build Over Easement Approval Hallelujah. We finally have the approval to build over the easement. What a nightmare this has been. You might...
The 20/20 House Part 19 – Getting Your Selections Right
The 20/20 House part 19 The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream of an energy efficient home into a reality. Getting Your Selections Right It’s been 2 months since my last update. Sadly, things are still moving slowly. My family and I went to Germany...
The 20/20 House part 18 – Getting A Building Permit
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. Getting A Building Permit I thought it was time for a little update from us. As usual, things are going slower than we were hoping. I guess that is the price you...
Sustainable Design blog
Have a read through our latest blogs about sustainable design
Meet Mellissa – our senior passive house designer
Meet MelissaSenior DesignerCertified Passive House Designer After receiving her Bachelor of Architecture, Mellissa has spent the last 16 years working for various firms across Queensland and Victoria and we are now fortunate to have Mellissa, and the wealth of...
WANTED: Creative Interior Designer/ Draftsperson To Help Us Design Beautiful Energy Efficient And Sustainable Homes For Future Generations
WANTED: Creative Interior Designer/ Draftsperson To Help Us Design Beautiful Energy Efficient And Sustainable Homes For Future Generations Part-time Are you passionate about energy efficient, sustainable and healthy homes? Does the sound of selecting non tox...
2020: That’s a Wrap
OMG. What a year it has been. I still remember the quarterly planning session with our business coach and mentor in January. All the big hopes and dreams we had for the year and the start of this decade. And then Covid came…. I was just checking the numbers. Here in...
Say No to Wedding Cake Designs – Why you should avoid articulation
Why do you want to build an energy efficient and sustainable home? Is it because you want to save on energy bills? Or is your main driver to reduce your carbon footprint and live lightly on this planet? If your aim is to reduce your carbon footprint, while reducing...
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET A TOWN PLANNING PERMIT? PART 2
In the last few posts we spoke a bit about the town planning lingo. So, let’s dive deeper. STEP ONETown Planning Application and Initial Assessment. (up to 30 days) The first step in the process is the lodgement of the town planning application. In...
How Long Will It Take To Get A Town Planning Permit? Part 1
Answering the question, “How long will it take to get a Town Planning Permit?” is not an easy thing to do. There are a number of different steps involved, along with many different variables. Every property comes with its own unique set of challenges. Every...
TOWN PLANNING – Key Terms & Town Planning Lingo
I’m starting a little series about town planning. The what, the how, the how long etc. Today we will start with some common terms. Advertising: Community Consultation, this may take the form of letters to your immediate neighbours or the placing of a sign at the front...
SIPS VS Stick Frame
As many of you know. We at Gruen Eco Design are huge fans of SIPs (structural insulated panels) For those of you who haven’t come across this type of construction. These panels are prefabricated. They consist of a FSC certified OSB3 board on either side of a...
What are the best windows when building a passive house?
When I came to Australia in 2007 I was a bit confused about the windows here. I couldn’t quite understand why all the windows were single glazed? And awning windows? Why would you even do such a thing? Back then it was hard and expensive to get your hand on high...
Live In A Passive House Without Being Broke
Our mission at Gruen Eco Design is to make energy efficient homes a staple in the Australian landscape. Everyone should have the right to live in a comfortable house that does not cost the earth! There is the idea that building an energy efficient home or a...