Links

Here are some of the individuals and companies who have helped us. We have found them to be professional, helpful and easy to deal with (hopefully you will too).

General Ideas:

Sustainability Victoria is the government department established to help all Victorians to use our resources more efficiently and reducing our everyday environmental impact. If you don't live in Victoria, I'm sure your local state or territory government will have their own version.

We found Sustainability Victoria to be helpful with general information and guiding us toward any grants that may be available.

Alternative Technology Association is a not-for-profit organisation, promoting sustainable technology and practice. The ATA provides services to members who are actively walking the talk in their own homes by using good building design, conserving water and using renewable energy.

You have to be a member to utilise the services, but even without a membership, we found their 'Useful Sites' page to be very helpful.

The City of Knox is located approximately 25kms from the Melbourne GPO. Knox is one of the most populous municipalities in Victoria with almost 151,000 residents living in eleven localities. Knox residents are proud of their city’s leafy green image. They are protective of the nearby Foothills and other special places of biological significance.

Their Environment / Sustainability Department is fantastic. They are always eager to lend a hand with practical advice and information. I'm very lucky to be living in a Council that is so supportive of the environment and local communities! If your council isn't making an effort, start hassling them to pick up their game...

Architects:

Altereco is a design firm that specialises in sustainable, innovative, high quality residential design.

We gave James a list of rooms and their approximate sizes and he came back with a 6Star design.

We found James to be incredibly helpful and professional! His knack of converting our vague ramblings and ideas into a working design was absolutely invaluable.

Structure:

Polycon Structures specialise in environmentally friendly insulated building systems. Their systems are sustainable to the environment, reduce energy consumption, cost effective and provide a comfortable indoor living environment.

I found Andrew was excellent to deal with; he was always available for advice and to bail me out when something wasn't going to plan, as well as providing the unsolicited advice that made my home more functional and usable - without his help I would have been in all sorts of trouble!!

Double Glazed Windows and Doors:

Art Windows is a PVC window and door manufacturer who makes custom PVC windows and doors. Their PVC window profiles are imported from a German company called Kommerling; they are world leaders in PVC window and door profile systems. The Windows and Doors are Waterproof, have a 42dB sound reduction, are self extinguishing, maintenance free and 100% recyclable.

Marek & Ala from Art Windows are an absolute pleasure to deal with; they worked on tight timeframes and delivered a fantastic result. I had them supply me with all of my windows and external doors (aside from the Front Door), which are 5 Star WERS rated.

Paints:

Oikos is a specialist paint provider that supplies Environmentally Friendly, 'Zero VOC' paints. Their product range is excellent and they are fantastic to deal with.

We used Oikos for all of our interior paint (we didn't find them in time to use them for the exterior paint as well). Initially our painter was hesitant to use the products, but Oikos had one of their trade professionals call him and answer all of his questions. Also, the day after our house was painted you couldn't smell any fumes... very impressed!

VOCs are a nasty set of gases produced from solvents, glues, etc. that have been linked to many bad things from allergies to cancer - do yourself a favour and research VOCs before you get ANYTHING installed in your home.

Architectural Timber:

Choice Timber is a producer and retailer of quality timber products including flooring, solid timber, and furniture timbers. They specialise in top quality Australian hardwoods, with committed staff who are experienced in the timber industry, with third generation family members contributing their knowledge.

When I was looking for sustainable timber I only found one timber merchant who was actually knowledgeable and helpful. Everyone else was either dismissive or non-committal about their products. We used Choice Timber's sustainable timber for all of our decks.

Cooling & Heating:

Rehau is a supplier of polymer-based solutions to construction, who address sustainable design priorities by engineering products that enhance comfort and convenience, reduce energy costs, create healthy and safe environments, and conserve finite resources.

REHAU provided us with the Fresh Air and Cooling system, but they also do windows, doors, heating and plumbing. We found them to be great to work with and very innovative as well as helpful.

HRV provide ventilation systems. Their systems have a smart control system which delivers air to the whole home through the best quality filtration available to today's homeowner.

We used HRV for our Heating system and the system that purges the built up hot air out of our ceiling space on hot days when we are trying to keep the house cool.

We found them to be very friendly, helpful and prompt (which is a rare quality in any building trade!). Their systems (like Rehau's) are very simple (so not much can go wrong) and use very small amounts of power.

Additional Monitoring:

Siemens Products Division is a specialist provider of electronic controls, actuators and sensors for Air Conditioning systems. They have an amazingly wide range of products that are superb quality and very reasonably priced.

Siemens supplied the system that monitors all of the temperatures, humidity, VOCs, etc in and around my home. They also have a range of products that can be easily integrated into most common home air conditioning systems.

It is very important to have your home Air Conditioning systems well controlled, every degree of temperature = 10% energy savings, so instead of setting the temperature for 22 all year around, try setting it for 28 during the day in summer and 18 during the day in winter - you'll still be comfortable, but will save a heap of energy (money) and GHG emissions!

Electrical:

Clipsal Australia supply and manufacture electrical accessories, data communications, industrial and home automation equipment.

I used Clipsal for my electricals. I found them to be very friendly and their product to be available at pretty well every electrical wholesaler I went into. They have a really useful guide on their website called the 'Essential Checklist', it is full of great ideas and we used it to make sure we didn't miss anything from our installation list.

Garage Doors:

Gryphon Garage Doors manufactures garage doors with a very quiet motor. Their doors are site measured then made to order with Australian Bluescope colourbond steel, and all panels are fingerproof for your family's safety.

Our door is the quietest Sectional Door I have ever heard, also, they have insulated the inside of it to stop heat getting into and out of your garage, which means if you have a garage linked to your house you are also keeping the heat in/out of your home.

Gardens:

I've been incredibly lucky to find 3 incredible organisations who are absolutely passionate about sustainable and indegenous gardens. I have had all three groups openly cooperating with me to plan my gardens and could not get by without their invaluable guidance...

The Gardens for Wildlife (G4W) program is in partnership with the Knox Environment Society (KES) and is designed to encourage the owner or occupier of a suburban block, to set aside an area in the garden for local wildlife. This can be done by providing habitat planted with locally indigenous, Australian native or suitable exotic species.

Their program is free to join and once you have registered, they organise a volunteer to visit your garden to learn more about the type of wildlife you would like to attract. After the visit you will receive a 'report pack' containing a written assessment, a Certificate of Achievement, a Gardens for Wildlife booklet, a sticker or plaque to display on your letterbox to help promote the G4W program and further garden and local wildlife information.

The Knox Environment Society (KES) is a membership-based organization of likeminded individuals that have a concern for the environment. KES work closely with Knox Council, other Environmental Groups, Friends Groups and individuals to achieve the Society's objectives.

We found these guys to be very friendly and eager. They have given us great advice and run a not-for-profit nursery that has a huge variety of Australian Native plants at ridiculously cheap prices.

Eco Landcraft has over 20 years experience in all aspects of Eco-efficient Landscape Design and Creation including native & indigenous plant design and decks / retaining walls / paving.

Jay has been incredibly generous with his time in offering useful advice and has a massive amount of knowledge in designing and taking care of sustainable gardens.

Miscellaneous:

Signature Studio provide cost effective, creative web & media solutions for small
to medium business, activity groups and individuals alike.

Ryan designed this website for us based on a very unclear concept and we were amazed with the results! We find him to be extremely professional and easy to deal with, and highly recommend him.

Federal Government Departments:

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
Department of Defence (surprisingly they are very proactive!)
CSIRO (Renewable Energy)
CSIRO (Climate Change)
CSIRO (Atmosphere / Marine)
CSIRO (Distributed Energy / Energy Storage)


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Out of the ground (Slab and underground works) The structure (Walls, windows and roof) Fit out (Plumbing, electrical, tiles, plaster & paint) The Environment Bits & Pieces
		Links Here are some of the individuals and companies who have helped us. We have found them to be professional, helpful and easy to deal with (hopefully you will too). General Ideas: Sustainability Victoria is the government department established to help all Victorians to use our resources more efficiently and reducing our everyday environmental impact. If you don't live in Victoria, I'm sure your local state or territory government will have their own version. We found Sustainability Victoria to be helpful with general information and guiding us toward any grants that may be available. Alternative Technology Association is a not-for-profit organisation, promoting sustainable technology and practice. The ATA provides services to members who are actively walking the talk in their own homes by using good building design, conserving water and using renewable energy. You have to be a member to utilise the services, but even without a membership, we found their 'Useful Sites' page to be very helpful. The City of Knox is located approximately 25kms from the Melbourne GPO. Knox is one of the most populous municipalities in Victoria with almost 151,000 residents living in eleven localities. Knox residents are proud of their city’s leafy green image. They are protective of the nearby Foothills and other special places of biological significance. Their Environment / Sustainability Department is fantastic. They are always eager to lend a hand with practical advice and information. I'm very lucky to be living in a Council that is so supportive of the environment and local communities! If your council isn't making an effort, start hassling them to pick up their game... Architects: Altereco is a design firm that specialises in sustainable, innovative, high quality residential design. We gave James a list of rooms and their approximate sizes and he came back with a 6Star design. We found James to be incredibly helpful and professional! His knack of converting our vague ramblings and ideas into a working design was absolutely invaluable. Structure: Polycon Structures specialise in environmentally friendly insulated building systems. Their systems are sustainable to the environment, reduce energy consumption, cost effective and provide a comfortable indoor living environment. I found Andrew was excellent to deal with; he was always available for advice and to bail me out when something wasn't going to plan, as well as providing the unsolicited advice that made my home more functional and usable - without his help I would have been in all sorts of trouble!! Double Glazed Windows and Doors: Art Windows is a PVC window and door manufacturer who makes custom PVC windows and doors. Their PVC window profiles are imported from a German company called Kommerling; they are world leaders in PVC window and door profile systems. The Windows and Doors are Waterproof, have a 42dB sound reduction, are self extinguishing, maintenance free and 100% recyclable. Marek & Ala from Art Windows are an absolute pleasure to deal with; they worked on tight timeframes and delivered a fantastic result. I had them supply me with all of my windows and external doors (aside from the Front Door), which are 5 Star WERS rated. Paints: Oikos is a specialist paint provider that supplies Environmentally Friendly, 'Zero VOC' paints. Their product range is excellent and they are fantastic to deal with. We used Oikos for all of our interior paint (we didn't find them in time to use them for the exterior paint as well). Initially our painter was hesitant to use the products, but Oikos had one of their trade professionals call him and answer all of his questions. Also, the day after our house was painted you couldn't smell any fumes... very impressed! VOCs are a nasty set of gases produced from solvents, glues, etc. that have been linked to many bad things from allergies to cancer - do yourself a favour and research VOCs before you get ANYTHING installed in your home. Architectural Timber: Choice Timber is a producer and retailer of quality timber products including flooring, solid timber, and furniture timbers. They specialise in top quality Australian hardwoods, with committed staff who are experienced in the timber industry, with third generation family members contributing their knowledge. When I was looking for sustainable timber I only found one timber merchant who was actually knowledgeable and helpful. Everyone else was either dismissive or non-committal about their products. We used Choice Timber's sustainable timber for all of our decks. Cooling & Heating: Rehau is a supplier of polymer-based solutions to construction, who address sustainable design priorities by engineering products that enhance comfort and convenience, reduce energy costs, create healthy and safe environments, and conserve finite resources. REHAU provided us with the Fresh Air and Cooling system, but they also do windows, doors, heating and plumbing. We found them to be great to work with and very innovative as well as helpful. HRV provide ventilation systems. Their systems have a smart control system which delivers air to the whole home through the best quality filtration available to today's homeowner. We used HRV for our Heating system and the system that purges the built up hot air out of our ceiling space on hot days when we are trying to keep the house cool. We found them to be very friendly, helpful and prompt (which is a rare quality in any building trade!). Their systems (like Rehau's) are very simple (so not much can go wrong) and use very small amounts of power. Additional Monitoring: Siemens Products Division is a specialist provider of electronic controls, actuators and sensors for Air Conditioning systems. They have an amazingly wide range of products that are superb quality and very reasonably priced. Siemens supplied the system that monitors all of the temperatures, humidity, VOCs, etc in and around my home. They also have a range of products that can be easily integrated into most common home air conditioning systems. It is very important to have your home Air Conditioning systems well controlled, every degree of temperature = 10% energy savings, so instead of setting the temperature for 22 all year around, try setting it for 28 during the day in summer and 18 during the day in winter - you'll still be comfortable, but will save a heap of energy (money) and GHG emissions! Electrical: Clipsal Australia supply and manufacture electrical accessories, data communications, industrial and home automation equipment. I used Clipsal for my electricals. I found them to be very friendly and their product to be available at pretty well every electrical wholesaler I went into. They have a really useful guide on their website called the 'Essential Checklist', it is full of great ideas and we used it to make sure we didn't miss anything from our installation list. Garage Doors: Gryphon Garage Doors manufactures garage doors with a very quiet motor. Their doors are site measured then made to order with Australian Bluescope colourbond steel, and all panels are fingerproof for your family's safety. Our door is the quietest Sectional Door I have ever heard, also, they have insulated the inside of it to stop heat getting into and out of your garage, which means if you have a garage linked to your house you are also keeping the heat in/out of your home. Gardens: I've been incredibly lucky to find 3 incredible organisations who are absolutely passionate about sustainable and indegenous gardens. I have had all three groups openly cooperating with me to plan my gardens and could not get by without their invaluable guidance... The Gardens for Wildlife (G4W) program is in partnership with the Knox Environment Society (KES) and is designed to encourage the owner or occupier of a suburban block, to set aside an area in the garden for local wildlife. This can be done by providing habitat planted with locally indigenous, Australian native or suitable exotic species. Their program is free to join and once you have registered, they organise a volunteer to visit your garden to learn more about the type of wildlife you would like to attract. After the visit you will receive a 'report pack' containing a written assessment, a Certificate of Achievement, a Gardens for Wildlife booklet, a sticker or plaque to display on your letterbox to help promote the G4W program and further garden and local wildlife information. The Knox Environment Society (KES) is a membership-based organization of likeminded individuals that have a concern for the environment. KES work closely with Knox Council, other Environmental Groups, Friends Groups and individuals to achieve the Society's objectives. We found these guys to be very friendly and eager. They have given us great advice and run a not-for-profit nursery that has a huge variety of Australian Native plants at ridiculously cheap prices. Eco Landcraft has over 20 years experience in all aspects of Eco-efficient Landscape Design and Creation including native & indigenous plant design and decks / retaining walls / paving. Jay has been incredibly generous with his time in offering useful advice and has a massive amount of knowledge in designing and taking care of sustainable gardens. Miscellaneous: Signature Studio provide cost effective, creative web & media solutions for small to medium business, activity groups and individuals alike. Ryan designed this website for us based on a very unclear concept and we were amazed with the results! We find him to be extremely professional and easy to deal with, and highly recommend him. Federal Government Departments: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Department of Defence (surprisingly they are very proactive!) CSIRO (Renewable Energy) CSIRO (Climate Change) CSIRO (Atmosphere / Marine) CSIRO (Distributed Energy / Energy Storage)