Actively looking for ways to reuse what is already in place is central to environmental decision making.

In today's episode, we move on to our next sustainable design theme, Renovation and Reuse.

We'll investigate the renovation of a 1940s timber cottage located in Bundjalung Country in the beachside town of Fingal Head in subtropical northern New South Wales. Architect Rob Norman, director of Symbiosphere Architects, shares the inside story on his Bambury Bungalow project.

Today we'll learn about

• creative and cost effective solutions for retaining and reusing old buildings and materials,
• the unique character and joy that can be affordably created through reusing old buildings, and
• loads of other insights and practical information from Rob's years of experience.

Australian Architects can earn formal CPD hours by listening to these podcasts and completing an online quiz.

MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript edited into clear Q&A.
• CPD Australian architects can find more information on CPD, and
• COURSES Eleven easy to read courses demystifying the entire home design and construction process.

KEY POINTS SUMMARY

1. Old buildings and materials have a unique character that is very difficult to obtain from anything affordable and new. They make a home so much more interesting, inspirational and joyful to live in, adding to quality of life, market appeal, and ultimately property value.

2. In recent years, interest and awareness of sustainable design have grown in the market, but unfortunately, knowledge has not. Social media, architectural journals and architect websites promote environmental design with glossy, finished project photos, but with limited information about what's going on in the background. These glamorous images support the assumption that environmental buildings are expensive and all about appearance.

In reality, a house that performs well from a sustainability point of view is not necessarily expensive or glamorous. Unfortunately, many genuinely sustainable houses do not photograph well, so they do not get the interest that they should.

The next points are about ideas for reusing materials out of your existing building. Rob had heaps of ideas, but these particular ones come up most frequently on a lot of old houses.

3. Old window glass and old windows can be retained and made safer by applying security film. Old window glass is thinner and more fragile than modern glass and breaks into sharp, jagged shards when shattered, posing a serious safety risk. The application of security film enhances the window's resistance to breakage and holds the shattered glass together.

4. Old timber T&G floorboards on their last legs can be retained with a thorough cleaning. This approach is beneficial in cases where sanding would expose the tongues, causing the floor to break apart. Rob had to hunt around to find a floor finisher with the right equipment. It requires a machine with something equivalent to a brush rather than a sander.

For those who don't know, sanding a top nailed floor, which is how all old timber floors are fixed, requires nails to be punched down by hand, which is slow and costly. As an alternative to replacing the floor, your builder might also suggest laying another flooring material on the top. So if you find yourself in this situation, investigate the thorough floor cleaning option first.

And finally, the lessons learned from this project.

5. if you're an owner who is building or renovating, you will ultimately control the sustainability of your project. Your architect and builder can propose ideas, but you make the final choices. Rob's clients were great environmental collaborators and constantly pushed to go further.

6. The primary problem with using materials from demolition is the commonly held belief that buildings must look perfect and new. For recycled materials to be properly embraced by the industry. The owner, architect and builder must question and agree on the final appearance before the work is done. Reducing the amount of reworking saves money, making construction more affordable and ultimately resulting in the use of recycled materials becoming more commonplace.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

[01:14] How did you get started in sustainable design?

[07:42] Is client interest in sustainable design increasing?

[09:00] What was the design brief for this project?

[15:33] What environmental choices did you make for the exterior materials?

[20:23] What did you do with windows and doors?

[23:17] What environmental choices did you make for interior materials?

[27:10] What choices did you make in the kitchen?

[35:32] What choices did you make in the bathroom?

[39:25] When did you get the builder involved?

[43:46] Your clients didn't want full perfection – tell us about that?

[47:49] What other environmental initiatives did you incorporate?

[48:45] What were your key learnings from this project?

[49:46] What are the challenges of using materials from demolition?

IN THE NEXT EPISODE

Next week we continue exploring creative ideas for renovation and reuse.

We'll investigate the renovation of a mid-century modern 1960s timber home on a suburban site in Stafford in subtropical Brisbane. I talk to architect Paul Butterworth, director of Paul Butterworth Architects, who'll give us the inside story on his Stafford Heights Modern project.

This season covers a wide array of environmental ideas, and I welcome your feedback on topics you'd like to see explored in more detail over the future seasons.

RESOURCE LINKS 

SYMBIOSPHERE ARCHITECTS WEBSITE

Project Page (images) https://www.symbiosphere.com.au/works/bambery-bungalow-symbiosphere-architects

OTHER INFO

External timber finishes

Hardwood decking finish - Fiddes Universal Decking Oil or Cutek CD50

(Penetrating oils are far preferable to water based surface sealers because they are much more effective and easy to apply and maintain.)

Interior products

Flat Fibreglass sheet – Ampelite  https://www.ampelite.com.au/

Internal timber finishes

Plywood walls, ceilings and cabinetry finish: Rubio Monocoat

Plywood floors: Fiddes Hardwax Oil

Note: Rob now prefers Osmo Polyx-Oil for finishing all internal timber

Kitchen

Zinc kitchen bench - Profold https://www.profold.com.au/

Bathroom

Sussex Taps https://sussextaps.com.au/

Australian Basalt stone benchtop

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