Clear Design

Our Bribie House house won the 2004 HIA Custom Built House value $500,000 to $750,000, and was featured in the magazine 'Queensland Homes' .



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Lap of Luxury

Our Osborne House was awarded the 2010 HIA Sunshine Coast Commendation Home above $1million and was featured in an article in BMag.





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Sustainability in Design

Sustainability is the catch-phrase of the 21st Century, and whether climate change is man-made or not is irrelevant - employing the principles of sustainability for low energy design in your contemporary architecture makes sense on so many levels, it would be remiss not to include it at the design stage of any building project.

There are many benefits to be enjoyed from utilising sustainability principles, which can generally be summarised into three categories - health, value and cost.

Health
Benefits of sustainable design go beyond economics; they also relate to improved health for the inhabitants of green buildings. Many owners and buyers now place a premium on sustainable and innovative design for their homes (or workplaces) as a way to bolster the inhabitants health and satisfaction. Green buildings have benefits including improved air quality (through low emission products and natural ventilation), thermal, and acoustic environments, enhanced occupant comfort, minimisation of strain on local infrastructure and contribution to overall quality of life.

Value
Sustainable designs benefit owners by increasing real estate values. Given the choice between an older home and one that has been fitted (or retrofitted) with sustainable design features, buyers are more likely to purchase the more sustainable property - even if it means paying more upfront.

Why? Because savvy buyers know that sustainable design facilities usually more than pay for themselves in the long run.

Cost
The single most important financial incentive for sustainable design is lower operating costs.

Today's sustainable design features target energy efficiency, resulting in lower costs for heating, cooling, and lighting your building. In a market with rising energy prices, sustainable design efficiencies will save you money now and for many years to come.

At PQ Architects, we make sure all of these considerations are accounted for in your design.

You can learn more about these principles and other possible financial incentives like government rebates that may be available by visiting these websites:

http://www.climatesmart.qld.gov.au/

http://www.environment.gov.au/rebates/index.html

http://yourhome.gov.au/