Story: Arylene Westlake-Jennings
Sustainability advocate Josh Byrne is putting his money where his mouth is by building two 10-star homes and sharing the ups and downs of the build online to get people thinking about change
CONSTRUCTION has begun on environmental scientist, landscape designer and Gardening Australia presenter Josh Byrne’s new 10-star home, an innovative project designed to prove that energy efficient, waterwise residential homes can be built on the same timeline and budget as any other typical suburban house.
“We live in a time of unprecedented wealth and comfort, but the reality is that it’s at the expense of natural capital,” Josh says. “We can either choose to ignore this, or get serious about making intelligent choices to live more sustainably. For me, sustainability is a journey, not a destination.”
Designed by Solar Dwellings and being built by Highbury Homes, the “Josh’s House” project in Hilton will achieve 10 stars under the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme.
The project will see two residences come to life – one for Josh’s family and the other for his sister-in-law – using standard building methods and the same design principles across different floor plans.
Josh says the decision to build two homes was largely because of affordability.
“It’s a big block – 1160sq m – which was large enough to comfortably fit two reasonably sized family homes with garden space,” he says. “It is a big undertaking, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and know that we’ll end up with homes that will suit us perfectly.”
In documenting the project, sponsored by the Water Corporation, Josh will also present an online miniseries, recording and sharing the building process every few weeks, warts and all. The first episode is now available on www.joshshouse.com.au.
“We want the information to be as accessible as possible. Making the film series available on the web means that it is available to anyone, anytime, anywhere,” Josh says…
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