Sustainable Home Renovation Design that Puts People First

Renovating your home is exciting—but it can also be overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to make sustainable short and long-term choices. Is it possible to create your dream design without a massive environmental footprint?

That’s exactly what we’re talking about with my guest Natalie Van de Merwe from On Home Ground. Natalie’s an eco architect who specialises in renovations over new builds to help suburban homeowners create eco-effective homes that work for them and the planet.

If you’re ready to rethink the way you renovate, enjoy listening to our conversation…

Overview of the Conversation

Photo Credit: Ardent Soul Photography

What is an eco-efficient home?

“you can’t really measure a home’s true eco-effectiveness without understanding the human context…you can measure the carbon footprint of material & the construction methods. But a home without people, doesn’t really have a purpose. So to be truly eco-efficient, we have to look at what’s sustainable and effective for the people living in that home, which is a much more nuanced and complex equation”.

What makes the approach of an eco-architect unique?

“starting that conversation really early on about what the values are for the people living in that home, regardless of size or how often people are there, asking what values do they currently use in their life?”

When designing an eco-home, it’s important to start with the homeowner’s values:

“all of those little details that are attached to your values actually have a big impact on your wellbeing and your environment and how you experience the space”

Design by On Home Ground

The surprising cost of an architect designed eco-efficient home.

“experientially and qualitatively, when you live in a home that’s designed with your needs in mind and helps you to function well throughout your life, not just for now, but in 10, 30, or 50 years. .. those things have great returns…it’s about the experience of being in them”

Navigating the needs, wants, asks and possibilities of an eco-efficient home, including thinking about emissions in material manufacturing, availability of materials and material transportation, house orientation, passive solar design.

Photo Credit: Atelier Photography

Making sense of the greenwashing around what is and isn’t sustainable

“…we were left with working with what was there, the external shell of that 80s extension. And the result is beautiful craftsmanship, wonderful materials, but more importantly, home spaces that really enabled {the clients’] growing family to have more modern functionality”

This episode of The ReNewy Living Podcast was recorded on Awabakal country. I wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land and waters in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie region of New South Wales.

I hope you’re feeling more confident about doing better for our people and planet by taking a start where you live approach to living sustainably. If this episode has spurred you into action, please feel free to share the episode with your friends. It would mean the world to me!

Listen into the stories and voices of this story here at Spotify podcasts and here at Apple Podcasts… And you can also sign up to my regular emails here… I look forward to sharing more stories with you next time.

Sustainable Home Renovation Design that puts People First (S3 Ep20)

Links from the Podcast Episode (S3 Ep20)

On Home Ground designs sustainable homes to suit your values, your lifestyle and your family. Natalie specialises in off grid, energy and eco-effective homes.
Shepherd’s Ground Farm and Village is a chemical free, sustainable, regenerative agriculture, off-grid & hemp construction village in Butterwick NSW.