What I’m Doing – Sustainable House Design

I’ve got a long to-do list

My team and I are taking my 2-bedroom, semi-detached, inner-city cottage on 104m2, and transforming it into a sustainable home. We aim to:

  1. Go completely off-grid.
  2. Generate enough energy and capture/recycle enough water to support a 3-person household.
  3. Use recycled materials wherever possible. Where it’s not possible, non-toxic and sustainably-sourced materials will be substituted.
  4. Minimise costs. Not only for my hip pocket, but we also want this type of sustainable building to be accessible for anyone contemplating a build or renovation.
  5. Achieve an appealing design and feel. We want to contribute to an attitude shift in society, so it’s important that the house is not only sustainable, with low running costs, but also that it’s liveable and appealing by today’s standards and never viewed as “slumming it” or “extreme”.
  6. Follow “Passive Haus” solar passive principles. Ideally, my house will take advantage of what the environment provides so that the inhabitants will never have to turn on a heater or air conditioner.

My blueprint for
sustainable, city living

With the ImPossible House project, I want to provide guidance for anyone planning to build or renovate to live more sustainably. This site documents all the solutions I’ve landed on to date; through my timeline and step-by-step guide, I want you to learn from my mistakes and my wins, save money – and join me in the sustainable revolution.