Green Building for a Greener Tomorrow: How Passive Houses in Melbourne is Redefining Sustainable Construction

As someone who has worked in the building industry for many years, I have seen first-hand how confusing the term "sustainability" can be. Every company and product claims to be sustainable, yet there are still so many buildings still being built that are not energy efficient and not built to last.

The term "sustainable home" can be confusing for several reasons. First, the word "sustainable" can be interpreted differently depending on the context. For some people, sustainable may mean using renewable energy sources, while for others, it may mean using environmentally friendly materials. This ambiguity can make it difficult for consumers to understand a sustainable home.

The Oxford Dictionary defines sustainability as "the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. If something is not built to last (to be maintained at a certain rate or level), then you can't claim it to be sustainable. Because you installed a recycled benchtop in your kitchen or used some recycled red bricks does not mean you can classify the home as sustainable.

As a result, we feel it is important to talk about the issue of greenwashing and what it means for the construction industry, as it can be a confusing topic to navigate.

So what is greenwashing?

Well, it is when companies use marketing techniques to make their products or services appear more environmentally friendly than they are. This is a common problem in many industries, including the building industry. Companies may use terms like "eco-friendly" or "sustainable" to describe their products or services, but without any real evidence to support these claims. We won't shy away from the fact that this was probably us in our infant stages. We were interested in building sustainable homes in Melbourne, but it stopped here. It wasn't until recently that we really understood what a sustainable home should and could look like!

But why is this a problem? It can make it difficult for consumers to differentiate between genuinely sustainable products and services and those simply marketed as such. This can lead to a sense of distrust among consumers, and it can also make it difficult for genuinely sustainable companies to stand out in a crowded market.

So, what does sustainability really mean in the construction industry? For me, sustainability means building and designing homes that are energy efficient, high-performance, and built to last. This can mean going above using environmentally friendly materials, such as recycled or sustainable materials, and designing homes optimised for energy efficiency.

One approach to achieving these goals is through the concept of a passive house. Passive houses are designed to be incredibly energy efficient, with airtight building envelopes and high insulation levels, meaning we build homes that use very little energy to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature, even in extreme weather conditions. These homes will sit between the 20-25degree mark without using any heating. We just finished our first Passive House Build in Melbourne!

So, what can we do to address the issue of greenwashing in the building industry? One approach is to look for third-party certifications and labels that can verify a company's sustainability claims. Certificates such as Passive House, Declare or Global Green Tag can give consumers confidence that a company's products or services are more likely to be sustainable and can help differentiate between truly sustainable companies and those that are simply greenwashing.

Another approach is to educate consumers about what sustainability means in the building industry context. By providing consumers with information about the benefits of sustainable homes and the materials and design approaches that can achieve these benefits, we can create a more informed and engaged consumer base.

We understand that Passive House construction and design in Melbourne is not the be-all and end-all, and we respect that many different factors can contribute to a home's sustainability. For example, a home may be considered sustainable if it is energy efficient, uses environmentally friendly materials, produces minimal waste during construction, and is designed to last for a long time. However, not all sustainable homes may meet all of these criteria, and some may prioritise certain factors over others.

Overall, sustainability is a critical issue in the building industry. By designing and building homes that are energy efficient, high-performance, and built to last, we can create a more sustainable future for ourselves and for the planet. But it's essential to be vigilant about greenwashing and to ensure that companies are held accountable for their sustainability claims. Only then can we truly achieve a more sustainable future!

Carland Constructions are sustainable home builders in Victoria who build Passivhaus and high-performance architectural homes in Melbourne. We are sustainable builders who work in Melbourne's inner west and Melbourne's inner north.