Sydney House, the residential redevelopment of the landmark City Tattersall building on Pitt Street in the Sydney CBD, will officially launch to the market this month.

The $800 million development, a joint venture between&nbsp;Singapore-listed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/first-sponsor">First Sponsor</a>&nbsp;and leading Melbourne-based developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/icd-property">ICD Property</a>, will see a glass tower with 241 apartments and a 135-room hotel built above the restored heritage-listed podium.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=12428 project_image_fid=312145]

The apartments will offer&nbsp;rare northeast-facing views across the sparkling Sydney Harbour and Hyde Park, all positioned above a luxury hotel with exclusive access to premium amenities and five-star lifestyle services.

Internationally acclaimed architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bvn-architecture">BVN Architecture</a>&nbsp;handled the design for the residential component and the interiors for the hotel, while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fjc-studio">FJC Studio</a>&nbsp;focused on the heritage podium.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=12428 project_image_fid=6670]

First Sponsor’s CEO, Neo Teck Pheng, together with ICD Property’s CEO, Matthew Khoo commented that the joint venture team was ecstatic to bring this extraordinary project to market as the first opportunity for those looking to secure their ultimate CBD luxury residence elevated by premium hotel amenities, including select premium services designed for effortless living.

“<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/sydney-house-194-204-pitt-street-sydney-nsw-2000">Sydney House</a> will offer a sophisticated expression of modern CBD living, capturing panoramic vistas to Sydney’s most beloved icons, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge as well as Hyde Park out to the North and South Heads,” Khoo said.&nbsp;

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=12428 project_image_fid=312146]

Mr Neo expressed that the reinterpretation of the heritage podium levels will feature an elegant heritage bar and restaurant, along with luxurious hotel and function facilities, enhancing the experience for residents. The historical features will be reborn, ensuring that these grand, opulent spaces will once again be enjoyed, appreciated and celebrated by residents, Sydneysiders as well as interstate and international visitors alike.

Managing sales for the project, SRM Residential Partner Tim Rees said that the team has received an overwhelming response to date, largely from local downsizers and upgraders looking for the ultimate lifestyle purchase.&nbsp;

“Once completed in late 2027, Sydney House will be Sydney CBD’s newest icon blending modern architecture with historic grandeur located in one of the most prestigious enclaves of the CBD,” Rees said.&nbsp;

“Pitt Street is arguably the most significant street in all of Sydney. Just a stone’s throw from Circular Quay, Sydney Opera House, Hyde Park and Darling Harbour, Sydney House offers seamless connection with the CBD and beyond. Pitt Street Mall is literally across the road and there is an abundance of dining and cultural venues in close proximity. The outlook from Sydney House will be breathtaking with views of Hyde Park and Sydney’s famous iconic landmarks on offer.

“Following the trend of other global cities such as New York, London, Paris and Tokyo, luxury inner city apartment living with access to premium hotel amenities is the new ‘trophy home’ for wealthy downsizers or empty-nesters who aren’t looking to slow down, as they want to live in the heart of the action.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=12428 project_image_fid=350624]

The project boasts a prime CBD location surrounded by the city’s most premium shopping centres including David Jones and Westfield Pitt Street as well as some of Sydney's best restaurants, bars,&nbsp;pubs, theatres, museums, art galleries, and parks.

Residents will be able to access the newly opened Sydney Metro Gadigal Station, located within a block from Sydney House. This station provides connectivity to Martin Place (one min), Barangaroo (three mins) and North Sydney (11 mins) as well as Chatswood and Macquarie University through to Castle Hill and Norwest. With services every four minutes during peak times, the Sydney Metro provides the ultimate convenience with 21 stations from Tallawong to Sydenham.

One of Sydney’s leading residential construction companies, particularly in premium off the plan luxury residences, Richard Crookes Constructions, will complete the project in late 2027.&nbsp;

Price guides at Sydney House include one-bedroom apartments from $1.5 million, two-bedroom apartments from $2.3 million and three-bedroom apartments from $5 million.

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Set to bring next level luxury to Sydney CBD’s prestige property market

Joel Robinson

Buyers set for first chance at Sydney House, Sydney CBD's newest landmark tower development

Joint venture partners&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/amalgamated-property-group">Amalgamated Property Group</a>&nbsp;(APG)&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/base-developments">Base Developments</a>&nbsp;have kicked off construction&nbsp;on its second Gold Coast apartment tower, Affinity Broadbeach, which is due for completion in early 2028.

More than 50 per cent of the 180 two- and three-bedroom apartments have sold, with buyers particularly impressed by&nbsp;the spacious and functional floor plans, close proximity to the beach, premium inclusions, and expansive resort-style amenities.

APG has just released a new limited collection of three-bedroom skyhomes with three living rooms and four bathrooms.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107690 project_image_fid=323744]

Graham Potts, Principal and Founding Director Amalgamated Property Group, said the strong demand for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/affinity-broadbeach-40-46-chelsea-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">Affinity Broadbeach</a> highlights a genuine need for affordable luxury residential developments on the Gold Coast.&nbsp;

“It’s exciting to see construction kick off on this sought-after project which is set to create a new benchmark in luxe coastal living on the Gold Coast," Potts said.

"Buyers are attracted by the seamless blend of convenience and elegance that Affinity offers, together with the knowledge that our 20-years of industry experience ensures we continue to deliver homes to the same high standards our reputation has been built on."

Capital Construction Queensland, the inhouse construction arm of APG, is handling the building. Potts says having the internal build capability provides buyers with confidence in delivering a high-quality building, referencing Amaya Broadbeach which is nearing completion nearby.

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Carly Cottam, CEO of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/motiv">MOTIV</a> Group which is selling Affinity, says there's a clear undersupply of property across Southeast Queensland and an even greater shortage of well-designed, spacious residences.

"That’s why Affinity has attracted such strong demand," Cottam says.

"Every detail, from the intricate finishes to the intelligent spatial planning, has been crafted for the discerning owner-occupier. Beyond the residences, the amenity is designed as a true extension of the home."

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107690 project_image_fid=6678]

Affinity’s superior amenities are resonating with buyers who are impressed by the range on offer, from the expansive outdoor heated pool, to the state-of-the-art gym, steam and sauna facilities, outdoor entertaining terraces, and a business centre.

"The offering reflects exactly what buyers are seeking when right-sizing or upgrading - spacious residences complemented by curated residential amenity, all within moments of the beach and vibrant retail and dining precincts,” Cottam added.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107690 project_image_fid=6676]

Dennis Milin, Principal of Base Developments and Milin Builders, and Director of Capital Constructions Queensland, said the team is excited to deliver another collection of premium homes in the heart of Broadbeach.

"With more than three decades of proven success in construction and development, our award-winning portfolio across the ACT and NSW speaks for itself, now further demonstrated by the strong progress at Amaya Broadbeach on First Avenue in Queensland,"&nbsp;Milin said.

“In partnership with a highly regarded team of designers, engineers and trades, and supported by our experienced Gold Coast construction professionals, we remain committed to delivering projects defined by quality, timeless design and uncompromising standards."

Early works at Affinity are already advancing, with guide walls for shoring and bulk excavation underway.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107690 project_image_fid=323196]

With a proven track record in large premium projects, APG has been developing residential and commercial property across Australia for more than 20 years. APG and Base Developments are the same duo behind the successful Amaya Broadbeach, currently under construction on First Avenue and due for completion in early 2026, as well as a number of other successful joint developments in Canberra, including Botanical in Turner, Kiara in Narrabundah, Ivy in Woden, and the three-tower Oaks precinct in Phillip.

APG is currently building The Eastbourne, 349 homes, a premium office building, and a retail and dining precinct at ANZAC Park East.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=107690]

Amalgamated Property Group and Base kick off construction at Affinity Broadbeach

&nbsp;

A local Australian has spent a Lower North Shore record $15.1 million at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elevate-hume-place-crows-nest-25-hume-street-crows-nest-nsw-2065">Elevate Hume Place</a>, the new TOD above the recently opened Crows Nest Metro Station.

The buyer amalgamated a penthouse and sub-penthouse to create the triplex apartment that will have five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a private rooftop pool, expansive terrace, and panoramic views of Sydney Harbour and skyline. The building is being created by burgeoning developer Third.i, alongside joint venture partner Phoenix Property Investors.

The buyer was drawn to Elevate’s unrivalled connectivity, situated directly above the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/crows-nest-nsw-2065">Crows Nest</a> Metro Station, and the vibrant lifestyle precinct that surrounds it. The Metro connects to the CBD in just seven minutes, and Chatswood in four.

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Designed by internationally acclaimed architects <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a>, Elevate draws inspiration from the ancient blue gum forests native to the area. The building is a Net Zero development, created in consultation with Indigenous communities and exceeding sustainability benchmarks. Interiors feature chevron-engineered timber flooring, natural stone benchtops, and premium Sub-Zero Wolf appliances, delivering timeless elegance and next-level comfort.

The exchange of the $15.1 million apartment, follows a recent $5 million sale, and over $30 million currently in expressions of interests. Interest in Elevate’s penthouse stock has surged, reflecting a strong appetite for ultra-luxury residences that combine design excellence with unmatched connectivity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=142550 project_image_fid=309369]

“We’re seeing a significant uptick in interest from local and international buyers who are prioritising connectivity, sustainability, and lifestyle,” said Callum Billinghurst, Head of Sales at Third.i Group.&nbsp;

“These recent sales are a testament to the vision behind Elevate. It’s not just about luxury finishes or panoramic views, it’s about creating homes that are deeply connected to the city and the community. Buyers are responding to that. They want to live somewhere that offers more than just a postcode, they want culture, convenience, and long-term value. Elevate delivers all of that, and more.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=142550 project_image_fid=297878]

As part of the Hume Place precinct, Elevate is transforming Crows Nest into Sydney’s most dynamic urban village. Elevate’s unique position directly above the metro, combined with its curated amenity offering, has made it a magnet for buyers seeking a future-proof investment and a vibrant urban lifestyle.

The next release at Elevate is expected later this year.

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“We’re seeing a significant uptick in interest from local and international buyers who are prioritising connectivity, sustainability, and lifestyle,” said Callum Billinghurst, Head of Sales at Third.i Group


Third.i & PPI set Lower North Shore apartment record with $15.1m sale at Elevate Hume Place penthouse amalgamation

Sydney developer Deicorp is set to officially open its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/hills-showground-village-castle-hill-2-mandala-parade-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Showground Village</a> precinct in Castle Hill.

NSW Premier Chris Minns will attend the opening on Sunday August 31, alongside&nbsp;Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully, The Hills Shire Council Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne, Landcom CEO Alex Wendler, and Deicorp Founder Fouad Deiri.

Located just moments from Hills Showground Metro Station, the centre spans 9,500 sqm across four levels and features 26 specialty retailers as well as a 1,400 sqm public plaza, creating a new community meeting point for shopping, dining, fitness, and everyday convenience.&nbsp;

Showground Village forms part of the Hills Showground Station Precinct, an urban renewal initiative led by Landcom and Sydney Metro that will provide for around 2,300 new jobs over the next 20 years and around 9,000 new homes.&nbsp;

Deicorp was recently approved for another new development next door to Showground Village.

The new five residential buildings in the East Showgrounds Precinct, will see another 873 dwellings delivered, as well as&nbsp;3,500 sqm of open public space in the form of landscaped courtyards, a public park and communal outdoor recreational space including a playground, barbeque area, and outdoor seating.

“This approval will allow us to start construction on a range of beautifully designed, conveniently located apartments and create another vibrant, walkable and well-connected community,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/deicorp" target="">Deicorp</a>&nbsp;Founder Fouad Deiri.

“These new homes will provide their residents with a seamless connection to jobs and services along Metro North West, and the new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/hills-showground-village-castle-hill-2-mandala-parade-castle-hill" target="">Hills Showground Village</a>&nbsp;retail precinct currently under construction."

Deicorp has several thousand apartments in planning and under construction across Sydney, from Zetland and Five Dock to Crows Nest and Macquarie Park.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=133881]

Deicorp, NSW Premier officially open Showground Village, new retail and hospitality hub in Castle Hill

ASX-listed developer Cedar Woods is progressing its plans for its Southbank arts precinct site.&nbsp;

The developer has filed plans, which are now with the&nbsp;Department of Transport and Planning, for a new 20-level tower at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/141-151-sturt-street-southbank-vic-3006">141–151 Sturt Street</a>, a 2,718 sqm block opposite the Habitat Filter sculpture.

The proposal seeks to demolish the two-level&nbsp;commercial building, including a small supermarket and medical tenancies, and create a new building with 180 apartments and a focus on an&nbsp;active public realm and arts integration.

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<img alt="Southbank site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="76a72db6-91ef-43ae-827d-a9cfa72893d2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Site.png?VersionId=DZgtB4K6BswVh0QtCs3iLjXaLp0CbcEb" />

&nbsp;

There will be a full mix of apartment configurations, including 28 studio apartments, 16 one-bedroom, 104 two-bedroom, and 32 three-bedroom units.

Retail, creative arts, and residential amenity functions are integrated across the lower levels. A food and drink tenancy is planned to front Dodds Street, while a retail tenancy fronting Sturt Street will be accessed via an elevated walkway. The first floor includes a substantial 734 sqm creative arts space, envisioned to support Melbourne’s growing cultural and digital industries.

Architecture firm <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has put together the plans. In their&nbsp;Urban Design Report they highlighted the project’s ambition to embed itself within Southbank’s evolving cultural fabric.

A central feature of the design is a through-block link connecting Sturt and Dodds Streets, landscaped with native plantings and embedded with universal access ramps.

“The ramp has been thoughtfully integrated as the primary access point, ensuring universal accessibility for all users,” the report noted, with the link offering “a direct response to the urban planning scheme of creating more green spaces within our communities”.

<img alt="Southbank podium" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4d24b1b2-d69c-4a11-a11d-ec6df432221c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/podium.png?VersionId=geWoJyZDmPSLODZ_.PNJ0LvpOmyyCdpo" />

The building’s podium form responds to the mandatory height limits along Dodds Street and maintains a fine-grain interface to adjoining developments. Above the podium, the tower is articulated with recessed balconies and a focus on views toward the CBD and surrounding arts institutions. A communal rooftop recreation deck and indoor lounge are positioned on level four, adjoining seven apartments and providing over 900 sqm of resident amenity space.

Vehicle access and loading will be provided via Dodds Street, with 155 resident car spaces located across two basement levels and the first three above-ground floors. Bicycle storage is more generous, with 226 spaces distributed across resident, staff and visitor needs.

Rothelowman describes the architecture as “humanist,” with ground-level interfaces designed to encourage social interaction and provide a dignified entry for both residents and passers-by. “All street interfaces are crafted to invite and nurture human connections,” the design report states. “The façade transitions to a human scale, providing an approachable and engaging streetscape”.

Cedar Woods, while well-known for its large communities it develops outside of Australia's capital cities, they have recently developed in Melbourne's inner-ring before. They are approaching completion at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/88-leveson-north-melbourne-88-leveson-street-north-melbourne-vic-3051">88 Leveson</a>, just 15 townhouses in the heart of North Melbourne.

Cedar Woods progresses with new apartment plans in Southbank arts precinct

Ecovillage

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Why is it easier to imagine an ecocity – full of lush green spaces and buildings, footpaths and bike lanes, outdoor goat yoga and dog parks – than a just city where everyone belongs? Why is it difficult to imagine a city where there are no great disparities of income or of access to convivial life because these have been equitably distributed?
The prospects for rebuilding the city along ecological lines is enchanting. But ecocities, like smart cities, frequently devolve into a techno-fetishist fantasy, (un)wittingly abetting gentrification – from the sell-off of public housing in cities like Sydney to violent informal housing eradication in places like Jakarta.
Part of what’s required here is to connect the currents of imagination shaping the ecological future of cities with other conversations that are more focused on the future of employment and industry and the possibilities for greater equity. Thinking these disparate ideas together will take some work. Fortunately, it’s well under way in cities around Australia and the world.
The Centre For Future Work and the Australia Institute organised a summit last month at Parliament House to consider the future of manufacturing in Australia. Much of the day was spent exploring how targeted government procurement practices can help rebuild a sector that could play a vital role in building ecocities alongside new employment opportunities.
Co-operative ways to build community wealth
Non-profit institutions and the private sector can play a similar role. The Evergreen Cooperative Initiative in Cleveland, closing in on its tenth year, used the demand for services from hospitals and universities to start worker co-operatives.
These meet the need for green laundry services, food and energy while creating ownership opportunities for low-income residents. Guaranteed downstream markets increase business viability. This ensures easier access to start-up capital.
Dozens of US cities have developed similar initiatives in the past decade. Among these are union-supported initiatives in Cincinnati, Ohio, municipal initiatives in Richmond, California, and multi-stakeholder co-operatives in Springfield, Massachusetts.
In each instance the guiding principle is that worker co-operatives are tied to place by the people who work in and own them. They distribute profits in ways that benefit worker-owners, other local businesses and the broader community.
In Australia, Earthworker Coo-perative has tirelessly pursued a similar initiative. It aims to connect Australian manufacturing capacity, eco-friendly technologies, unions and the environmental movement as a basis for starting worker co-operatives ready to meet the demand for green technology.
Organisations like the Mercury Co-Operative and the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals are working to support and spread co-operative ownership in Australia.
In September, a second New Economy Conference, open to the public, will consider what sort of legal and social changes are needed to support efforts like Earthworker.
More ambitiously, even the emergent disruptive technologies that are enabling the “gig economy” can be repurposed for co-operation and community wealth creation.
While new platform technologies concentrate wealth in companies like Uber and Airbnb, these could just as easily function on a co-operative basis, sustaining communities in the process. Such ideas are being actively considered in Melbourne and in Sydney at last year’s Vivid festival.
These efforts to encourage social procurement, build co-operatives and develop new forms of sharing work readily combine with the ecocity agenda. In themselves they are not sufficient to ensure that ecocities are also equitable cities. As Labor senator Kim Carr pointed out in last month’s summit, what ideas like this do is fully open the question of what an economy is for.
In Australia, this question is an eminently urban one. Continuing to ask this question, and keeping the answer open, is one way of ensuring that ecocities are not merely oases for the wealthy.
Stephen Healy, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-ecocity-needs-to-be-a-just-city-80676" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Why the ecocity needs to be a just city: Stephen Healy

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GUEST OBSERVER
Energy efficiency in Australian homes is an increasingly hot topic. Spiralling power bills and the growing problem of energy poverty are set against a backdrop of falling housing affordability, contested carbon commitments and energy security concerns.
Most people agree we need modern, comfortable, eco-efficient homes. This article is not about the relatively few, new, demonstration “eco-homes” dotted around Australia. It is about the rest of our housing.
These mainly ageing homes might have had energy efficiency improvements done over the years, but invariably are in need of upgrading to meet modern standards of efficiency and comfort.
Since 2006, all new-build housing must meet higher energy efficiency standards. But we add only around 1% to the new housing stock each year.
Policies to improve energy efficiency in the other 99% are more fragmented. The focus is almost entirely on market-based incentives to “retrofit”. By this we mean material upgrades to improve housing energy and carbon performance.
The transition has begun
Nevertheless, a major retrofit transition is under way. In the last decade, around one in five Australian households has installed solar panels. More than three million upgrades have been carried out through the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (now Victorian Energy Upgrades) initiative.
These impressive numbers describe a nationally important intervention. But does this mean we will soon all get to live in eco-homes, rather than just a lucky few?
Current retrofitting activity has occurred unevenly and may contribute to longer-term inequalities.
For example, rebates for deeper retrofits often are more accessible to the better-off home owners. They have matching cash and also rights to make major upgrades (as opposed to renters). This entrenches the existing reality that low-income renters tend to live in less energy-efficient homes.
Similarly, in the UK, retrofit incentives haven’t always successfully targeted those most in need. The distribution of costs has contributed to pushing up energy prices for those already in energy poverty. In Australia, up to 20% of households were already in energy poverty before recent price rises.
Thus, if poorly targeted and funded, energy efficiency initiatives might make existing dynamics worse and add to the cumulative vulnerabilities of housing affordability stress.
Keeping track of how homes rate
We cannot effectively monitor this. This is because Australia has no robust, longitudinal national database of property condition. There is no established, widespread practice of property owners obtaining property condition reports that set out the energy-efficiency performance and the most viable improvements that could be made.
This means we do not have a systematic way of knowing what we should do next to our homes, even if we are lucky enough to own them and have some cash available, as well as the time and motivation to retrofit.
To the rescue, at least in Victoria, is the new Victorian Residential Efficiency Scorecard. This is an advance on previous attempts (as in the ACT and Queensland) to develop comparable assessments of the energy efficiency and comfort levels of your home. Although voluntary, the scorecard will provide owners with a report on their home and a list of measures they can consider to transform it “eco-homewards”.
So, is the scorecard the answer to our problems? Will it bring forward the date when we can all live in comfy eco-homes? It will certainly help.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206484/original/file-20180215-124914-1xet6qk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
 Since 2010, the European Union has mandated ratings of how a building performs for energy efficiency and CO₂ emissions.
The European Union has had a mandatory system since the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive. The evidence suggests this has raised awareness of energy efficiency by literally putting labels of buildings in your face when you are deciding where to buy. It’s much like Australians have become used to energy efficiency labels on fridges and other appliances. However, evidence of this awareness actually leading to upgrade activity is more mixed and, in some cases, disappointing.
In short, we need the scorecard and should welcome it. However, we also need a set of other measures if we are to make the transformations to match our national policy objectives and our desires for a comfy eco-home.
What else needs to be done?
The research agenda is also shifting to explore the social and equity dimensions of the retrofit transition.
In areas where installation work on energy-efficiency/low-carbon retrofits is increasing, how is this working in households? Who makes decisions? How do they decide and with what resources? What or who do they call upon? And, more broadly, what are the positive or problematic consequences for equity and, therefore, for policy?
Emerging retrofit technologies and behaviours have broader social and economic contexts. This means we need to understand the wider meanings and practices of homemaking, the uneven social and income structures of households, and the home improvement service industry.
While the retrofit transition is arguably under way, its consequences and dynamics are still largely unknown. We need to refocus away from simply counting solar systems towards understanding retrofitting better. This depends on understanding both the households that are retrofitting their homes and the industries and organisations that supply them.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91231/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">To get energy policies right and overcome energy poverty, we need to bring together studies and initiatives in material consumption, sustainability and social justice.
Ralph Horne, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor, Research &amp; Innovation; Director of UNGC Cities Programme; Professor, RMIT University
Emma Baker, Associate Professor, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Adelaide
Francisco Azpitarte, Ronald Henderson Research Fellow Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research &amp; Brotherhood of St Laurence, University of Melbourne
Gordon Walker, Professor at the DEMAND Centre and Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University
Nicola Willand, Research Consultant, Sustainable Building Innovation Laboratory, RMIT University
Trivess Moore, Research Fellow, RMIT University
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-other-99-retrofitting-is-the-key-to-putting-more-australians-into-eco-homes-91231" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Retrofitting is the key to putting more Australians into eco-homes

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GUEST OBSERVER
What types of communities do the best job of living with a minimal impact on the planet? I asked myself this question when I read a recent article which argued that even if everyone on Earth lived in an ecovillage we would still be using too many resources.
I am more optimistic — some ecovillages provide a much better blueprint than others.
As a 2013 study of 14 ecovillages by US political scientist Karen Litfin shows, ecovillages can be regarded as “pioneer species”. They show people how to improve their sustainability: the ecovillages Liftin studied used 10–50% fewer resources than their home-country averages and, being whole communities, were more influential than a single sustainable household.
Litfin’s assessment took in a wide range of factors – ecological, economic, even psychological – but one example of how ecovillages show the way forward is in power consumption.
Mainstream households tend to rely on national or regional supplies of gas or electricity, with no (or little) control over their sources. In places like Victoria, which has a very emissions-intensive power sector, this can make it difficult to make sustainable choices. However, ecovillage neighbours who have banded together to access renewable energy, say solar or wind power, can make off-grid environmental savings.
While there are financial (and other) barriers to setting up environmentally sound residential neighbourhoods, there are useful rules of thumb. In general, small is beautiful and sharing is efficient. One simply cannot fit as much “stuff” into a smaller house, and sharing accommodation often economises on consumption of goods and services.
Some ecovillages shame others in reducing their environmental footprint. Where ecovillages re-inhabit and renovate old buildings, they save on resources. A good example is the postcapitalist eco-industrial Calafou colony, northwest of Barcelona, which houses some 30 people in an old textile factory complex.
Members of another community that I have stayed at, Ganas in New York City, live in renovated residential buildings and operate several second-hand businesses at which residents work. Residents at Twin Oaks in Virginia, where I worked for three weeks, have a surprising level of collective sufficiency, with residents working on farming and making hammocks and tofu to sell, the proceeds of which are shared between the group.
Such experiments can be scaled up, settling residents in ex-commercial and ex-industrial premises — effectively shrinking cities by encouraging higher-density, more sustainable collective communities.
The global village
This feeds into the idea of “planned economic contraction” or “degrowth”, which as Samuel Alexander argued on The Conversation is necessary in order to live sustainably. But I don’t share his pessimism about the ability of ecovillages to show us a way towards this sustainable life.
An analysis of Findhorn ecovillage in Scotland showed that an average resident travels by air twice as much as an average Scot, yet their total travel and overall ecological footprint was half the Scottish and UK averages.
Residents of Findhorn and of another UK ecovillage, Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED), make significant savings in terms of car travel. It follows that just by avoiding air travel, these residents would have even more environmentally sound practices.
Managing without money?
Members of ecovillages such as Twin Oaks not only share “one purse”, but also complement their efforts at collective sufficiency with minimal use of money. (Avoiding money is part of the culture of squatters generally.) Members of Calafou put in money to the community on the basis of their individual capacity but share governance and benefits equally. Here social and environmental values dominate.
In contrast, money is the principle on which capitalism revolves. If we reduce consumption — and we will need to, to become sustainable — then production has to be reduced. But capitalist producers have no successful operating systems for shrinking. Most often, when consumption decreases it results in unemployment and austerity, rather than orderly degrowth.
Money pressures us to opt for more rather than less, or else risk poverty and powerlessness. Thus it applies a systemic pressure to expand. Growth is not simply a result of people’s greed – even not-for-profit cooperatives aim to create a monetary surplus. How would you run a business or your household using money income in a shrinking market? What would happen to prices and savings?
Many suggest a guaranteed minimum income, but the value of the currency will prove unstable in such conditions and, anyway, what really matters to us is what we can purchase with that income (meaning that prices matter).
Such questions lead us to the conclusion that strategies for degrowth must leap not only beyond capitalism but also beyond money. This is the strength of Litfin’s focus on ecology, community and consciousness, incorporating skills which we need to replace production for trade on the principle of money.
In the future, collectively sufficient ecovillages could operate environmentally efficiently on the basis of direct democracy and arrange production and exchange within the commons they lived off without the use of money. Instead, ecovillagers would make non-monetary exchanges, where necessary, on the basis of social and environmental values.
Thus we could reduce our footprint and stay within Earth’s capacity.
Anitra Nelson is associate professor, Centre for Urban Research at RMIT University and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anitra-nelson-6527" target="_blank">here</a>.
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