More than 1,500 people attended the very popular Sustainable House Day Expo and Tiny Homes Design Competition last Saturday, September 17 at Mullumbimby Civic Hall.
This year’s winner of the $1,000 professional category on the theme of Tiny Homes: A Pocket Neighbourhood was Neeraja Peeret.
‘I am so excited to have won the design competition and am currently looking at building upon this award and showcasing the project further to show that sustainability can be easy, small and cost-effective,’ Ms Peeret said.
Her winning design featured a pocket neighbourhood that enabled many people to live sustainably in small houses with private spaces as well communal areas for social connection.
Coming in second was Baxter & Jacobson Architects, while David Brown and Alfonso Duran Fraile received the sponsors’ highly recommended award.
The winner of the $500 Byron Shire community award was Joe Harvey-Jones with his fantastic design that included rotating house that captures the sun’s rays in every season.
Warren Buys won the $500 Lismore City community award and Margot McCarthy took out the $500 Tweed Shire community award.
Michael Leung from Balanced Earth won the $100 people’s choice award.
A highlight of the Expo was the highly popular ‘speed date a sustainable designer’ session with filled up early.
Also well attended were the informative talks by subject experts, while many stallholders were on hand to provide instant advice.
If you missed out on attending the Expo you can still view all the designs at the various council foyers and the Green Building Centre in Byron Bay from the end of October.
‘It’s a treasure trove of our region’s finest, all available for viewing for free,’ said Sandi Middleton from the Northern Rivers Sustainable House Day Collaboration.
Sustainable House Day is a joint event by Byron Shire Council, Lismore City Council, Tweed Shire Council, Ballina Shire Council, The Green Building Centre, Nimbin Neighbourhood & Information Centre, Self Seed, North Coast TAFE and Dorroughby Environment Educational Centre.
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