Let's be blunt: the Australian building industry is in a mess, and it's a mess we've created ourselves. We have changed the way we build homes without understanding the fundamental physics that govern them. This has led to a building crisis where many of our homes are rotting and full of mould, and we're acting surprised when the outcome was entirely predictable.

You can build the most energy-efficient Passive House imaginable, but if you don't properly manage water and ventilation, you've built a home that is destined to fail. The reality is simple: water kills buildings. Proper water management and controlled ventilation are the non-negotiable foundations of any durable, healthy, and comfortable home.

Everyone wants to build more “sustainably” and seeks to look for ways to be more energy-efficient (well most people), and as a result, the way we build our homes is under a microscope. While traditional "stick-built" homes have served us well for generations, they have a major flaw: they're full of thermal bridges and air gaps that let precious heated or cooled air escape, especially if you’re building with steel frames.

Have you ever noticed that "high performance" is a term thrown around everywhere in the building industry? It's a bit like "sustainable" was a few years ago—an overused buzzword often lacking a clear, verifiable definition. Everyone's claiming it, but here’s the real question: can they back up that claim?

Embarking on a renovation or extension project is often driven by the desire for more space, improved functionality, or a modern aesthetic. For the environmentally conscious homeowner, the aspiration might extend to achieving the rigorous energy efficiency of the Passive House standard. However, while incredibly rewarding, retrofitting existing structures or seamlessly integrating extensions to meet these demanding criteria presents a unique set of challenges that require careful consideration and innovative solutions. As a leading passive house builder in Melbourne, we've seen these challenges firsthand.

While Passive House sets a high bar for new construction, EnerPHit offers a pathway to achieving significant energy efficiency in existing buildings through deep retrofits. This resonated deeply with our commitment to sustainability, recognising the vast potential in upgrading our existing building stock. Our Rifle Range Passive House is a great example of this, where we turned a volume-built/spec home constructed in 1993 into a Certified Passive House in Melbourne.

Carland Constructions isn't just building structures; we're crafting environments that prioritise comfort, health, and durability. For years, we've been deeply involved and leading the progression of high-performance building in Melbourne, and two standards stand out in our experience: EnerPHit and Passive House. These aren't just buzzwords for us; they represent a commitment to a better way of building, and we've seen firsthand the transformative impact they have on the spaces we create and the lives of the people who inhabit them. But hey, don't just take our word for it – you're always welcome to have a chat to our clients!

Forget years of study and rigorous research. A few hours on Google University is all you need to become an authority on any subject. Vaccines, climate change, the moon landing – you name it, you've cracked the code. Those scientists with their PhDs and decades of experience? Thats how it seems to be these days. Everyone is an instant expert in a matter. But when it comes to passive house, nothing was instant, it was years and years of hard work to become experts.

Here is the truth about the type of homes we build in Australia.

This is one of our Instagram posts from earlier on in 2024, with part of it making it an extract for a sustainable building book. So we thought we would reshare it to try encourage everyone in our industry to be better.

At Carland Constructions, we're passionate about building high-performance homes that are healthy, comfortable, and sustainable. And that passion is amplified when we collaborate with architects who share our vision. That's why we love working with passive house architects – those who truly understand the principles of passive house construction and bring their expertise to the table.

The question we hear all the time: "

“Is passive house construction more expensive?"

My answer? "It depends on what you're comparing it to." Usually followed by, "Most likely, yes, but you're getting a premium product."

We get it. "What's this going to cost me?" is the first question on everyone's mind when they dream of building their own home, especially a high-performance one like a passive house. It's the most common question we get asked, and it often feels like the hardest one to answer. But the truth is, it can also be the easiest if you follow a simple, collaborative process.

Sustainability has become the most popular and environmentally conscious way of life. It's really no secret that we only take on sustainable building projects in Melbourne, but unfortnatly, sustainability and passive housing are still seen as an expensive building option when that couldn't be further from the truth. There are still so many misconceptions about this topic, and so often, we see sustainability being blamed for the increase in building costs.

As we grapple with climate change and escalating energy costs, retrofitting our existing buildings to meet higher performance standards has emerged as a key strategy. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), there were approximately 10.8 million dwellings in Australia as of 2021, which means that there is a ton of work to do to bring these homes up to the current energy efficiency standards.

How did we end up in this mess? A mess that could be totally prevented if we understood sustainable construction methods and adopted passive house construction. It's a mistake that cost Canada more than $4 billion dollars to fix in 1980 One that is now costing New Zealand $23b (with some estimates as high as $47b) due to decisions made in the early 2000s.

You know our Forrest Street Passivhaus?

Well, it's now officially certified!

A Passive House Builders guide to finding your Passive House Architect

Building sustainably isn't just a buzzword for us; it's a core principle that guides everything we do. We believe that a sustainable home is not only better for the environment but also creates a healthier and more comfortable living space for you and your family. That's why we're committed to incorporating cutting-edge techniques like passive house design into our projects.