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Garden edging is a more subtle design element than the sprawling plants that it helps frame. However, it can be just as important.
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Architect and sustainable housing expert Ben Caine cautions homeowners about various pitfalls to consider when choosing an architect or designer to deliver their new home or renovation.
If the laundry is the engine room, the kitchen is most certainly the heart of the home. Crucial for the day-to-day as well as entertaining, kitchen appliances should be selected on their durability, functionality and aesthetic. The pandemic saw the rise and rise of the home cook, which has continued well into its aftermath. The kitchen is now effectively an extension of personal style, both from a cooking and design standpoint.
It’s the end of a long day and you’re finally home, ready to unwind and recharge for the next day. You head to your bedroom, hoping to find solace and relaxation in your personal refuge.
The brouhaha over some silly subs, dragging in former PMs, may have surprised some, but for seasoned housing policy experts it came as no surprise, having seen these moves from Labor and PM Albanese before.
The idea of the 15-minute city, according to its originator Carlos Moreno, is that people are no more than a 15-minute walk or bike ride away from all the services they need to live, learn and thrive.
The current housing crisis has renewed debates about how to regulate short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb. The international research on the impact of these rentals is clear: when landlords “host” tourists rather than residents, housing supply is depleted, rents rise and neighbourhoods change.
According to the Australia government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: ‘Heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems account for up to 50 percent of a commercial building’s energy use and dominate peak electricity demand. Capital and maintenance costs for these systems also comprise a high portion of overall building costs.’
While beaches look static, they’re actually one of the most dynamic regions on Earth. Winds, waves and tides stir and push sand around constantly. Storms can claw out huge volumes of sand and move it elsewhere.
As the cost of living soars, many Australian households are turning to rooftop solar to cut their energy costs. A Pulse of the Nation survey last month showed about 29% of Australians have installed or are considering installing solar panels on their homes.
At Fremantle Prison in the 1850s, when metal was scarce, the prison gate and handrails were made from iron recovered from sunken ships.
The harsh realities of managing the waste we produce are in the news: councils shunning new glass bins, more plastic being produced per person in the world and Sydney bins overflowing. And the growth in apartment living in Australia threatens to add to these problems. Apartments worldwide have lower recycling rates than standalone houses.
