In late 2019, Erin and Martin reached out to us for a major renovation of their cottage in Melbourne’s Inner West. Their goal was to enhance thermal efficiency and create a healthier indoor environment, especially considering respiratory sensitivities.
Recognising that solely enhancing thermal performance wouldn’t address their air quality concerns, we installed air quality monitoring sensors in their old home. Data quickly revealed significant particulate spikes during the Melbourne bushfires, emphasising air leakage issues.
Faced with escalating construction costs and considering the actual expense of the renovation, Erin and Martin enquired about the cost difference between renovating and building a new, air quality-centric home.
Ultimately, they opted for a new build, collaborating with @carlandconstructions to create an all-electric, certified Passivhaus. Their new home prioritises the family’s health while maximising thermal efficiency for substantial energy savings. To date, they haven’t needed to use the heater in the home, and perhaps more importantly, there have been no more asthma attacks. An impressive feat, given the home’s proximity to the Westgate freeway!
Their new home forms part of @altereco2 ; a sidearm to Altereco and is affectionately known as the Possum House. The @altereco2 range aims to simplify the design and documentation process without compromising on aesthetics or performance.
Builder: @carlandconstructions 🛠️
Photographer: @jjjjade 📸
Landscaping @akas_landscape
Dog: Harry 🐕
It felt like Christmas came early for us last year when a copy of @greenmagazine landed in our letterbox on Christmas Eve, featuring our very own Harry House! 🐕
After navigating a stressful period during peak COVID times, we made a bold decision—scrapping our original design, even though we had secured a planning permit, completed engineering, and were gearing up to build. 🥵 Instead, we embraced a simpler approach: one that heroed the site’s natural beauty, was more straightforward and cost-effective to construct, yet still aligned with our core values of health, comfort, resilience, and performance.
The article also shares why, as Passive House-certified designers, we ‘failed’ to achieve Passive House certification—and why that choice was intentional and right for us. 💚
Our story, and the home itself, feel deeply personal and true to who we are. Every decision we made was driven by what was meaningful for us, rather than chasing accolades or creating a more elaborate design for extra wow factor.
You can get your hands on Issue 101 of Green Magazine to read the full down low! 🍿
Thanks again to our pal @jjjjade for the beautiful pics 📸
Dream Team: @hustlerbuilt_ 🛠️
Cheers, Claire, James (& Harry 🐕)
I’ve never been one to talk about accomplishments, especially with work. I’ve always felt an intrinsic connection with pride versus ego.
However, I’ve come to realise that pride is the satisfaction of an achievement. I’ve been reflecting on this accolade and I feel quite differently. This feature epitomises the journey our business has steered over the last five years or so.
Albeit a conscious decision to focus on creating healthy and comfortable homes, the reality is we never really knew what it would look like, what fantastic people we would meet, or what places this would take us. We just had this belief that it was the right thing to do.
So back to my reflection…and more-so to our team at Altereco, both past and present, who have played a massive part in forming the values and culture of Altereco. I’m immensely proud of their passion and contribution that has ultimately shaped Altereco today.
Thankfully we’ve had some amazing clients that have embraced our vision, knowledge and even been brave enough to step into the unknown. None more so than these fantastic folk at @seven_acre_wood_farm , who walked in our door way back in 2018.
This also gives me an immense sense of purpose, being of service to people that truely do want to create healthy and comfortable homes, whilst we strive to better the building standard in our country.
In the past 6 months we’ve moved in to our own amazing @harrypassivehouse , witnessed two certified passive houses come to fruition, achieved commendation in the @designmattersnational True Zero Carbon Challenge and celebrated this little hempcrete beauty on the hill.
This is just the beginning…
Cheers, James
Photography @jjjjade
Meet Eyrie House. 🦅
Named for the high, rocky perch where birds of prey nest, this family home has a little street drama — a bold, angular roofline that rises to a point, sheltering a mezzanine inside and a private family life behind.
By positioning work-from-home spaces at the street frontage, the clients stay connected to their neighbourhood without sacrificing the privacy of the living zones. Both orientations benefit from a northern aspect, ensuring the spaces used most during the day are consistently light-filled and warm.
The strategy was always to keep the roofline and envelope clean — avoiding complex engineering and costly construction details in favour of smart, buildable solutions that deliver genuine thermal performance. High-performance insulation throughout, double-glazed Low-E uPVC windows, maximised north glazing with external shading, and carefully considered east and south zoning for service areas and bedrooms.
It’s not a perfect shape for energy modelling — the connecting hallway sees to that — but Eyrie House still tests to near-Passive House standard. Sometimes the best outcomes come from working with the constraints, not against them. 💚
Come and see us today at Slow Lane Festival in Torquay 🌊
James will be on the main stage at 11:20am, joining Tim Ross @modernister for a conversation on best-practice retrofitting and designing homes that truly work for the people who live in them.
Visit our stand to explore the AlterecO2 pre-designed range — thoughtfully curated with energy efficiency, health and sustainability at their core. Homes that prove bigger doesn’t mean better.
In Australia, bigger has become the default — often driven by resale, not real need.
At Slow Lane Festival, we’re shifting the conversation.
What happens when we stop designing for assumptions, and start designing for people?
Building smaller isn’t about compromise.
It’s about building appropriately.
Slow Lane Festival brings together designers, thinkers and community builders to spark real change.
Link to tickets in bio ☝️ 🎫
Slow Lane Festival brings together designers, thinkers and community builders for conversations and experiences that spark real change.
If you love your home but hate the freezing winters, worry about resilience, or want to plan smarter for the future, our conversation with @modernister Tim Ross will give you real, actionable pathways forward.
If you’re curious about retrofitting your home for comfort, or making your current house healthier and more resilient to our changing climate, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Grab your tickets via link in bio ☝️
We’ve been a little quiet on IG lately… but things have been busy behind the scenes 👀 Here’s a snapshot of the last couple of months ↓
CHAMPION PASSIVE HOUSE
Shortlisted in the 2025 Sustainability Awards.
PIGEON PASSIVE HOUSE
Now airing on Grand Designs Australia!
ACCORDIAN
A fibro shack with a killer view & long family history. Playful yet compact, prioritising health, comfort & longevity. Contracts signed — breaking ground in the New Year!
HOFFMAN
1920s Cal Bungalow that was freezing in winter & roasting in summer. Soon to be comfortable year-round with a 7.4 Star high-performance retrofit. Starting Feb 2026.
ALTERECO2 QUOLL
From our @altereco2 pre-designed range — construction flying along with 0.2 ACH on the prelim blower-door test. Soon to be our 4th Certified Passive House in the Inner West.
MELBS
1910 Victorian demolished, with a compact double-storey high-performance home taking shape in 2026. High insulation & high-performance windows deliver 8.4 stars.
ORIGAMI PASSIVE HOUSE
Bringing Passive House to the Peninsula — the first certified PH in Sorrento!
WHALLEY PASSIVE HOUSE
What started as a renovation became a new build. Clients now on the Certified PH train!
QUEEN
Solid brick ’70s Altona home getting a high-performance overhaul. Floorplan modernised for a healthy, comfortable family home. Construction early next year — pop off, Queen!
EMERALD PASSIVE HOUSE
Something exciting brewing in the hills! Might start with Passivhaus… or Passive House… actually, who cares?!
OTWAYS OUTLOOK
High-performance home in Aireys Inlet taking full advantage of valley views toward the Otways. Building permit received as an early Xmas pressie!
SLOW LANE FESTIVAL
Kicking off 2026 in Torquay on Jan 4. James chats with Tim Ross @modernister about small second dwellings & retrofitting for health & comfort. Stand all day — food, music, beers & good vibes. Drop by! @slowlanefestival tickets in bio 🎫
Big thanks to our team & clients for another fun trip around the sun! 🌞
We’ll be speaking at Slow Lane Festival on small homes, retrofits & resilient design with Tim Ross @modernister@slowlanefestival is a day to rethink how we live, build and connect — tiny homes, sustainability, community and inspiration by the ocean in Torquay. 🌊
Save the date: Sunday 4 Jan 2026, Torquay Common.
Tickets via link in bio 🎫 ☝️
Super chuffed to take a personalised tour of our Pigeon Passive House – as featured on Grand Designs Australia!
What started as a derelict Pigeon Racing Club is now a certified Passive House. What may look straightforward from the outside actually belies the complexity of the design and approvals journey: the compact site, narrow north-facing frontage, heritage overlay, and neighbouring buildings all demanded a considered design approach!
Big props to @carlandconstructions for bringing it to life, and huge congrats to Matt, Nicole, little Noa, and their dog Charlie – thanks for letting us be part of the journey!
Swipe right for a sneaky peek…
Who doesn’t love a before and after??
Meet our Forrest Passive House — the first certified Passivhaus to hit Melbourne’s Inner West. Comfortable, healthy, energy-efficient, and designed to last long after we’ve left the planet.
Behind it is the story of the original weatherboard home — full of character, but with a 1-star energy rating. Too hot in summer, too cold in winter — basically a leaky timber tent! Rather than demolishing it, we respected the old gal and relocated her, where she’s now enjoying a new lease on life in country Victoria!
Forrest Passivhaus is based on our Possum House design and was the first of now five AlterecO2 pre-designed homes that are either built or under construction.
Did someone say pre-designed Passive House? Tap the link in our bio to learn more and download a free floorplan. 🤩
Builder: @carlandconstructions ⚒️
Landscaping: @akas_landscape 🍃
Photographer: @jjjjade 📸
“Transformation is the opportunity of doing more and better with what is already existing.” — Anne Lacaton
Our Henry II House brings together heritage character and contemporary design for a growing family. 🤝
Named Henry II because it’s the second home we’ve designed on the same Northcote street (Henry St) for the same family, this project builds on the success of our award-winning Stompbox house 🏅. We continued the distinctive pod theme that defined the first design — with the kitchen as the central hub, a simple concealed walk-in pantry, and built-in joinery seamlessly integrated within the pods.
This version simply needed more space for two growing boys. The brief: restore the original Victorian, create generous new zones, and design a flexible home that will evolve with the family over time. 🧑🧑🧒🧒
The result is a carefully balanced blend of past and present — a cleanly restored façade concealing a modern two-storey addition behind. From the street, it’s classic and familiar; step inside, and the transition to the new spaces brings the WOW! 🤌
With 12-foot ceilings in the original house, maintaining a sense of height and volume was essential — achieved through 3-metre ceilings in the new additions. The curved walls and refined detailing carry forward the original pod concept — reinterpreted for a new chapter of family life on Henry Street.
Swipe 👉 for the WOW 🤩
Photographer: @jjjjade
For us, sustainability goes far beyond energy ratings or solar panels!! It starts with the fundamentals — good orientation, passive solar design, and natural ventilation — but it’s also about the choices we make at every level: how big we build, what we build with, how long it lasts, and whether it’s achievable for the people living in it.
Our six pillars of sustainability:
• Size: Build a sustainable home that’s the right size — smaller homes cost less to construct, maintain, and heat or cool, reducing environmental impact.
• Flexibility & Adaptability: Create multi-purpose spaces that evolve with your lifestyle.
• Accessibility: Design homes that adapt to life’s stages, ensuring comfort, convenience, and long-term usability for all occupants.
• Durability: Use robust construction and high-performance detailing to withstand real-world conditions — including soil, bushfire, and climate — creating homes that last for generations.
• Materials: Choose locally sourced, low-toxicity, recyclable, and durable materials for high-performance, long-lasting homes. Thoughtful material selection reduces environmental impact and improves indoor health.
• Affordability: A sustainable home should be achievable. Designing within realistic construction budgets ensures the home can actually be built, maintained, and enjoyed.
Because true sustainability isn’t a checklist — it’s a mindset that shapes every design decision, from site and orientation to comfort, performance, and longevity.
Pictured: our Harry Passive House studio, done two ways… 🐕 💚
Full blog in bio ☝️
Photography: @jjjjade
