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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 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...
The 20/20 House Part 15 – Other Little Challenges
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. Other Little Challenges It has almost been 3 months since I last posted an update on our own passive house and lots of people have been asking me what’s going...
The 20/20 House part 14 – Landscape Design
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. When designing and building your home the landscape design and the garden is often the last thing on the list and more often than not there isn’t much money...
The 20/20 House Part 13 – Designing the Kitchen
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream energy efficient home into a reality. In the last blog I wrote about the catch up I had with our builder and how it got us thinking. Originally, I was always imagining a home with a nice polished concrete...
The 20/20 House Part 12 – Getting The Design Right
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. Over the last couple of months, we kept fine-tuning the design for our own house. Typically, all my ‘actual’ projects are a priority, so I only ever work on the...
The 20/20 House Part 11 – Locating Services
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream for an energy efficient home into a reality. In November I spent 2 weeks doing some further professional development and did the PassivHaus/ Passive House Designer course. Although a lot of the principles...
The 20/20 House: Cost Saving Ideas – Windows
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. Windows are essential for a house and the comfort and well-being of its habitants, as they let natural light and fresh air into the building and enable views....
The 20/20 House Part 10 – Design Challenge: Stairs
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. After several weeks not looking at the plans for our dream home we finally managed to find some time together to work on the plans. As I have...
The 20/20 House: Cost Saving Ideas – Kitchen
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. Kitchen Ideas Life has been a bit crazy again at our house. We had backpackers staying with us. My niece arriving (who will be staying with us as an...
The 20/20 House Part 9 – How big does your house need to be?
The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality. Again, it’s all about you. Think about you and your family. How do you use the house? Which rooms do you really use? Do you really need a...
Sustainable Design blog
Have a read through our latest blogs about sustainable design
Passive House Podcast Feature
Our founder and Passive House designer here at Gruen Eco Design recently had the pleasure of being interviewed on this international Passive House Podcast. Simone shares her expertise and experience about Passive House and her passion to help change the building...
Why it pays off to have a builder on board early on
We are currently working on a new SIPS passive house in Blackburn at the most beautiful location. Overlooking a park and with lots of amazing gum trees. While these trees do look great and create a great character. They had also lots of other implications. The site...
How to not build an energy efficient home
Are you thinking about building a new home? Ever wondered whether to go for a 6- or 7-star home? What’s the difference anyway? And how do you know which home is best for you? How can you make sure you find the right designer and builder? Someone who designs and builds...
Beat The Winter Chill And Enjoy Your Cosy Home
How did you hold up this winter? Being home all day? Thanks to iso 2.0? Have you been cursing about your high energy bills? Or rather rugging up with your thick fleece jumper? Wouldn’t it be ideal to feel nice and cosy next time around? Making your home more energy...
What Will The Post Covid Home Look Like? Check Out These 6 Major Changes On How To Make The Most Of Our Homes.
The last few months have been difficult. Who would have ever thought the year could turn out like this? And of course, we all had our own challenges and different circumstances. But the one thing that we all have in common is that we are all spending much more time in...
Why do many Europeans complain that living in a typical Australian house feels much colder than enduring a winter in Germany or Sweden?
Imagine this, it’s 6am and you’re getting out of bed. You walk barefoot to the kitchen in your summer pj’s to turn on the kettle. You then get your clothes ready for the day. Taking out your warm winter jumper and pants to get ready for work. Hold on? You might...
Why being in isolation made me love my energy efficient home.
When we bought our first home in 2010 I was very keen on getting the house as energy efficient as possible. Having grown up in Germany I know how good thermal comfort can feel. And I was not willing to keep on living in a cold and draughty home, especially if...
The First 5 Steps Before Starting A Unit Or Townhouse Development
Are you considering a subdivision? Or do you own a block of land and would like to do a development on your site? Did you know that even though there is a development in your street you might not be able to do the same on your land? I have spoken with too many...
7 Essentials When Working From Home With Kids
Working from home in itself can pose many challenges. Even more so when kids come into play. For the first 4 years (from 2013 – 2017) I was running Gruen Eco Design from home. And 3.5 years of this time I was a working from home mum. So, I know a good deal about the...
Getting a Building Permit
Before any construction can start you need a building permit. This means a building surveyor must check all construction drawings and required documentation, to make sure it complies with all building and planning regulations. Once satisfied he will stamp the plans...