Build it Local challenges entrants to design a family home in a typical suburban context, using approved and/or non-approved materials sourced from our collective backyard in the Northern Rivers region to reduce the embodied footprint of the build.
The theme also extends to using local labour, an owner builder model or a combination of the two.
Sourcing and using local building materials and labour greatly reduces a building’s embodied energy footprint. Given the diversity of our region, with ready access to recycled materials, plantation timbers, bamboo, straw bale, rammed earth and mud brick building systems, combined with a multitude of building component manufacturers, the Northern Rivers can supply everything needed to design and build fantastic, environmentally responsive houses.
The theme addresses sustainability, environmental and social issues and will boost the region’s economy and skill set. It will also highlight where the gaps are in terms of skills and materials and open the door to new industries, such as hemp growing, treatment and application.
This year we invite you to think creatively in designing a sustainable home using local labour and materials and provide a radial diagram to map the distances of where building materials were sourced.
Entries close 1 September 2017.
Visit our website to download the design guidelines and fill out a form to enter.
