A number of the design industry’s best and brightest descended upon the eastern suburbs of Sydney last Thursday to celebrate the release of James Hardie’s inaugural Modern Homes Forecast, which seeks to outline the future of Australian residential design.

Commissioned by James Hardie, research entity Fiftyfive5 undertook significant qualitative and quantitative study which identified seven distinct Modern Home styles which the company believes will form the basis of the future of our streetscapes: Modern Farmhouse, Box Modern, Modern Heritage, Mid-Century Modern, Japandi, Barn and Modern Coastal.

Hosted by Neale Whittaker, the event featured a panel composed of HIA Senior Economist Tom Devitt, Futureflip Director Neil Hipwell, Studio Snell Founder Joe Snell, and BuildHER Collective Founder Rebeka Morgan, who gave insights on the social, economic and environmental influences on the built environment, including multigenerational living, sea and tree changes, new technologies, climate change and sustainability.

Snell says that lightweight construction is ideal for the Australian climate, but believes there is more to be done in regards to efficiency and sustainability.

“Australia should have the best homes in the world. One of the reasons we don't is that we're so lazy about living in draughty buildings, but if you want to spend less on air conditioning then you need to seal the building correctly,” he says.

“Clients often have all these aspirations for a sustainable house, and then the budget comes in and it becomes building what they can afford, and it’s why I insist we get a builder in before we get an approval to develop with us a budget.”

In regards to new housing regulations put in place by state governments, in particular NSW’s Building Sustainability Index, or BASIX for short, Futureflip’s Hipwell says that while the upfront costs may be high, the benefits will be reflected within a home’s efficiency.

“It's not that hard to get seven stars, but it’s a bit of a rubik’s cube. Double glazed, low-e glass windows cost money, and you need to assess where clients want to spend their money. We need to care about having the windows facing the right direction, and if you’re not educated on how to do that, you’re going to waste a lot of clients’ money.

“It's so difficult to meet so many of these demands without the government imposing extra costly changes that have to be complied with, but BASIX will lower the energy cost, because you’re building better.

With the seven typologies now identified by James Hardie, the company has produced Design Handbooks, offering comprehensive insights into each of the seven design concepts. These Handbooks showcase design features, material textures, colour palettes, and Hardie™ exterior cladding solutions.

For more information regarding the Modern Homes Forecast, click here.