Design> Call to action
There are many simple ways you can apply the principles of sustainable housing design into plans for a new home, renovations to existing dwellings or features to look for when buying and existing house. To see the principles of sustainable design, visit:
- Smart Housing – This initiative is coordinated by the Department of Public Works, which promotes a triple-bottom line approach to housing design. It provides a range of useful resources that can assist you in deciding to buy, build or renovate a home, including technical information and case studies of best practice in Queensland. Through its Smart Housing Design Objectives, it also highlights the social aspects of housing design eg. safety and security, accessibility and adaptability (universal design). Knowing that your home will meet the needs of you and your family now and into the future can give you peace of mind for years to come.
- Your Home – This national program, coordinated through the Australian Greenhouse Office, explains many aspects of sustainable housing design. It provides useful information and case studies on the features of good housing design, whether designing a new home or buying an existing home. The ‘Consumer Guide’ provides a general introduction to sustainable housing issues, whilst the more extensive ‘Technical Manual’ provides individual fact sheets detailing these issues.
The two major design features of homes designed and built under the Sustainable Homes program are best practice passive solar design suitable for area’s local climatic conditions, and the incorporation of universal housing design (i.e. ‘Smart Housing’). Whilst the above links provide relevant information on these two key design features, additional useful material can also be found at our
Resources page.
Last updated August 2006
