Residents and would-be builders in the region are invited to attend this year’s Sustainable House Day to be held this weekend, to see firsthand the results of a range of clever and often daring examples of sustainable housing choices.
Sustainable living focuses on using environmentally friendly materials and building practices to increase a home’s functionality and comfort levels while remaining affordable and sensitive to environmental impacts.
The movement has much support within the Margaret River community thanks to a growing number of sustainable building practices cropping up in the shire, and support from the Augusta Margaret River Shire itself.
Shire President Ian Earl said the event was a great resource for the general public.
This is a unique opportunity to visit houses and gardens that have been designed, built or renovated with sustainability in mind.
- Ian Earl, AMR Shire President
“This is a unique opportunity to visit houses and gardens that have been designed, built or renovated with sustainability in mind.
“I’d like to thank those members of our community who have generously opened their homes to the public to share their knowledge and show others how sustainable design and building practices can be integrated into our every-day living” he said.
Australia-wide, owners of properties constructed with sustainable principles in mind will open to an expected 18,000 members of the public keen to learn from the people who built the homes.
The eco-conscious community continues to grow around the nation and featured in the program are homes constructed from straw bales and other natural materials while boasting sustainable features such as solar and wind power, recycled windows and doors, double-glazing and permaculture design principles.
A number of South West homes feature prominently on the Sustainable House Day website with the region known for embracing alternative construction methods. Visitors can venture to Witchcliffe and the outer edges of Margaret River as well as within the central suburban district.
Homes will be open from 10am - 4pm this Sunday September 11. A full list of homes including addresses can be found at www.sustainablehouseday.com/cat/2016/