Sustainable House Day is an event from Renew that provides the opportunity to explore some of Australia’s most inspiring homes, and learn from the people who designed them, built them, and live in them.

The first session in our program is all about taking that first leap towards your sustainable build or renovation. The panel will discuss how to get ideas out of your head and into a plan of action: tackling how to navigate planning requirements, identify opportunities and constraints, and find the right team to bring your vision to life.

This session covers all the basics that are essential to understand in order to achieve a sustainable build or renovation that is warm in winter, cool in summer, and cheap to run. Our expert panel will discuss what a difference orientation can make, as well as correct air flow and insulation.

Choosing the right sustainable building materials for your project can be a daunting task. In this session we will talk through the pros and cons of various natural building materials like rammed earth, strawbale and recycled timber, as well as exploring innovative new materials and the ideal environments for their use.

One of our most popular sessions returns! We’ll dive into detail covering everything you need to know about windows, which is often one of the most expensive items of a build or renovation, and one of the most critical things to get right. You’ll learn key considerations to make when selecting the right windows, to optimise the liveability of your home as well as maximising thermal comfort.

In this session we’re digging into a favourite topic at Renew: sustainable tech. Our expert panel will cover everything that you need to know when considering rooftop solar, home battery storage, and electric vehicles. You’ll learn what setup would suit your home and lifestyle, and key considerations to make the return-on-investment stack up.

There are many different paths to your dream sustainable home. As property prices rise and cost of living pressure intensifies, our expert panel will discuss avenues that you may not have considered, like sharing land or owner building. You’ll learn about being resourceful with what you have, and thinking outside the square.

This session will explore new developments in prefab and modular design. Our panel of experts will explore if this approach is still an affordable option, and discuss the other benefits such as fast installation timelines and the sustainability merits of offsite construction.

Taking its name from a term coined by one of our panellists, Jane Hilliard of Designful, this session will explore the ethos of ‘enoughness’: building within your means, managing your footprint, and making smart design choices that result in beautiful sustainable homes within a budget. You’ll gain experienced insight into small and clever builds, as well as hearing pitfalls to avoid.