Eco Builders Blog
Vertical Gardens
21 November '11 by Grant, under Sustainable Products, architecture, eco homes.
The vertical garden, also known as the wall garden, is making a comeback! An ancient principle is being reinvented and used in both residential and commercial buildings. For the full article and some interesting pictures visit this vertical garden link from SMH.
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Eco House – Singapore
15 November '11 by Grant, under Design, Planning, Sustainable Products, architecture, eco homes, energy efficiency, solar power, sustainable housing.
Habitusliving.com.au feature an interesting article about Singapores first Green Mark Platinum house. If you’ve ever been to Singapore you’ll know that it gets really hot and air conditioning becomes your best friend. This design really helps reduce the need for excessive energy use to power these systems as well as supplementing the energy with solar panels. Check out the full article on this link – Eco House Singapore
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Sustainable Building Materials
15 November '11 by Grant, under Design, Sustainable Products, designer eco homes, eco homes, energy efficiency, sustainable housing.
Trade Secrets have posted a number of good youtube videos on sustainbility in the building industry. Check out this link to watch – Trade Secrets
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Qantas to Go Green with Fuel!
14 November '11 by Grant, under Sustainable Products, energy efficiency.
Qantas will run Australia’s first commercial flight powered by sustainable fuel, CEO Alan Joyce has told an aviation conference in Brisbane today.
“In early 2012, Qantas plans to operate a commercial flight powered by sustainable fuel,” Mr Joyce said.
“This is by no means the first bio-fuel flight, but it will be first flight of its kind in Australia.”
For the full article check out smh
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Small House!
03 November '11 by Grant, under Design, architecture, energy efficiency, nsw, sustainable housing.
Check out this article on the winner of the World House of the Year Award 2011 in Surrey Hills!
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Student Housing = Net Zero Development
25 October '11 by Grant, under Design, architecture, eco homes, sustainable housing.
UC Davis, a College in California USA is leading the way in student housing with this new net zero development. Check out the link for more details. Student Net Zero House.
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Grand Designs Live Free Tickets
11 October '11 by Grant, under Design, architecture, designer eco homes, eco homes, energy efficiency.
If your thinking of heading to the Grand Designs Live Expo in Darling Harbour on the 21-23rd October 2011 and would like a free ticket. Call us on 1300 334 153. We have 5 tickets for the friday only, and 10 tickets for all days to give away.
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Homeowners’ dream is now further away, really?
06 September '11 by Grant, under Planning, nsw.
Today, the Daily Telegraph wrote an article about the new changes to the first home buyer concessions. I personally think it is a good idea. There needs to be a shift from buyers purchasing existing homes, to more new home building. Good work Barry!
“From January 1 next year, newcomers to the property market will no longer be able to avoid having to pay transfer title charges on existing homes under $600,000.
Stamp duty exemptions will now be restricted to newly built and “off the plan” properties only.
The axing of the concessions for existing properties is likely to spark a rush of people looking to buy before the change takes effect.
The move, made after lobbying from developers, is designed to stimulate new housing, according to the state government.
But it is likely to lead to voter anger, with the vast majority of first home buyers in NSW – 42,000 out of 50,000 – being made on existing homes. NSW is now one of the few states not to have a stamp duty concession for first home buyers purchasing existing homes.”
For the full article go to Daily Telegraph.
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Energy Efficiency Fun
06 September '11 by Grant, under Planning, Sustainable Products, energy efficiency, nsw.
EACH night as the switch is flicked on at Luna Park, 22,000 bulbs light up its famous smiling face.
But the heritage-listed park is undergoing a much-needed facelift and those energy-guzzling bulbs will be replaced with LED lights, which the state government says could reduce energy use by as much as 90 per cent.
The Luna Park Reserve Trust, a government-owned operation that acts as a landlord to Luna Park, will spend $780,000 to replace the lights, including the old garlands of lighting that are draped across Coney Island and Crystal Palace.
For the full article, go to SMH.
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Sydney Housing Crisis
06 September '11 by Grant, under Planning, designer eco homes, eco homes, nsw, sustainable housing.
SYDNEY is in the grip of a property crisis, according to an article by the daily telegraph, with a huge shortage of homes as vendors hold on to their houses in a depressed market.
Slow conditions mean owners are opting to stay put, with just 362 auctions held in Sydney last weekend – down nearly 20 per cent on last year.
Rents increased up to 8 per cent across Sydney over the year, ranging from a median of $750 a week for a three bedroom in the inner suburbs to $375 a week in the outer suburbs, according to Housing NSW’s latest report.
The report shows a state-wide drop in sales prices of 2.3 per cent, with Australian Property Monitors figures revealing Sydney’s median sale price fell $4000 from July last year to $639,000.
Analysts say reduction in buying activity could mean higher rents but the real problem plaguing Sydney was the massive undersupply of dwellings with vacancy rates of between 1 and 1.7 per cent.
“It’s difficult to buy somewhere if there are no houses to buy,” Real Estate Institute of NSW CEO Tim McKibbin said. “The number of people who need a home outstrips supply. In NSW we have an increasing population and gross shortage of property.”
CommSec’s latest economic insight report said residential building work had fallen 4 per cent, with outstanding projects drying up.
Urban Taskforce CEO Aaron Gadiel estimates Sydney’s housing supply shortfall at 46,000 homes and predicts it to double within three years.
“We’ve seen three straight months where NSW private sector home approvals have trended down by more than 4 per cent a month,” he said.
The Robles family are the face of that property crisis, unable to find suitable rental accommodation despite applying for hundreds of properties and having a good tenancy record. The family of five, originally from Summer Hill, have fought for homes with 50 to 100 other applicants without success and have been living in hotels.
“It did not ever occur to us that we would ever end up like this,” Carlos Robles said.
Carlos, I’ve got the answer! Move to the South Coast of NSW. The air in cleaner, land is for sale at around $125,000 for a 800m2 block! And We can build you a beautiful new 3 bedroom plus study Designer Eco Home with a 6 Star NatHERS energy rating for under $350K.