Tucked down a leafy street close to the botanic gardens in South Yarra is ‘Park Towers’, a 1938 art deco apartment designed by renowned inter-war architect Arthur Plaisted. Considered one of his most significant works, the two towers that give the building its name are separated by a central walkway, offering each apartment leafy views and plenty of natural light. With just 18 apartments in the complex, the top-floor apartment of our clients Bruce and Ange had an abundance of potential, with its serene outlook and beautiful art deco bones. Bruce and Ange knew the promise of the apartment need ..read more

The reality of the Australian housing market is that over 80% of new homes are designed and built by large volume builders and companies that offer a range of ‘off the shelf’ plans for their customers to choose from and then customise if desired.  According to a report commissioned by Sustainability Victoria (linked here), volume builders have little motivation to provide information about sustainability features because demand is perceived to be low. This results in homes that have expensive ongoing running costs, and without expert design advice these homes are usually not completely f ..read more

This Brunswick East project was an exercise in how transforming the existing space of a home can radically improve the way its occupants live, work and play. Our creative clients Katrina and Chris, along with their teenage sons Charlie and Franklin, approached Brave New Eco with an idea to convert the existing garage of their home into a multi-use space that would suit their evolving lifestyle. The brief had three clear pillars: create a flexible living area which can also be used as a guest bedroom, improve the energy efficiency of their home, and create a backyard for socialising. It is not ..read more

BRAVE NEW ECO IMPACT REPORT 2023 PART 1 In 2022 we began the process of working towards B-Corp Certification. This is our first annual impact report outlining the areas in which we are creating and measuring our impact as a business. We are currently under review for in the B-corp process. In 2014 Brave New Eco was established with a clear mission to change the way we create homes for a less wasteful, more resourceful outcome. We have used the B-corp process to reflect, measure and set goals for the future. We are pleased that our values are still the same as when we first wrote them. You can ..read more

BRAVE NEW ECO IMPACT REPORT: PART 3 At Brave New Eco we specialise in transforming existing buildings. This is a very intentional approach, we have a strong focus on the existing built environment, to use a resourceful approach by creating smaller more efficient existing buildings that are upgraded for the future.  Our design and performance solutions must be nuanced and project-specific. These are not as straightforward to track as new builds. The Nathers energy rating scheme is not designed to rate upgrades to an existing house effectively. There is currently development funding to ..read more

‘ Our mission is to create beautiful, environmentally-resilient spaces that foster human health and happiness.’ KEY SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES   Creative We suggest solutions that may be overlooked by many because they are not the business as usual approach. Resourceful Frugality is at the heart of our design approach. We make the least possible change for the biggest possible impact. We use what we have around us first, by opening our eyes to abundance, nothing is wasted. We see the potential in everything. Analytical We research and evaluate all of our designs and specific ..read more

When Maggie and Pete bought their West Brunswick home it looked and functioned like two mirror image single fronted Victorian homes squeezed into the house, with two kitchens, two dining rooms, two laundries, two everything! This curious setup was the design of the previous owners, two brothers and their wives who lived side by side in the double-fronted, double-story Edwardian.  While very cute and unique, the dual-living nature of the home created a rabbit-warren feel when consolidated with many doorways, hallways and extra rooms and several ways of getting from the front door to the b ..read more

Lovely Laura ‘the second’, is the second Victorian cottage we have designed a renovation for on this very same Brunswick street. The dear old 1885 single-fronted home was full of character but lacked functionality. She was a bit dark, needed to be updated for energy efficiency and past renovations were showing their age. Our clients Corina and Lorcan came to us for a renovation of the kitchen, bathroom and laundry that would feel timeless alongside the original elements of the home and preserve the charm and personality. The kitchen sits at the rear of the cottage between the rest of the hou ..read more

The handsome solid red brick Californian In Coburg in Melbourne’s North was inward looking with a shabby asbestos-clad lean-to extension closing it off from the garden. The clients, Sarah and Ben love living and eating outside so wanted to improve the connection to the garden and carve out a space for sheltered outdoor dining. They imagined a laundry for muddy gumboots and glass jars full of cuttings, a kitchen that can work hard, looking equally good when in chaos or clean and tidy. The clients wanted a home bathed in sunlight; a space that felt generous, retaining the lofty spaciousness of ..read more

Our clients Sherrin and George came to us with renovation concept plans for an extension by Logan Sheild of Geometrica, containing a new living room, new outdoor living space and refurbished kitchen, bathroom and laundry. At the time we were too booked up to take on the project, but Sherrin was wonderfully persistent and waited for us to come on board! They were happy with the overall layout however were looking for some detailed designs and specifications for the interior components. The brief to create a contemporary space full of high-quality functional details, using sustainable design st ..read more