Melbourne
A Victorian era cottage in Seddon, in Melbourne's inner west, renovated for sustainability by the couple who have owned it since 2004, Michelle Bennett and the illustrator Michael Weldon. The front two rooms behind the iron lacework were kept and retrofitted with new insulation and floorboards; the rest was rebuilt on passive house principles, with an extension shaped to pull in natural sunlight so less artificial heating is needed.
The measured result is the point: the house's energy rating climbed from 2.3 stars to 6.8, close to the 7 now expected of brand-new builds in Victoria, on double glazing, all-electric appliances, a 7.055 kilowatt solar array, an 8.28 kilowatt-hour home battery and low-flow water fixtures. The project was published without a name of its own, known simply as the family's house in Seddon.
Altereco Design
A boutique building design practice founded and directed by James Goodlet, certified in Passive House design, now working from Anglesea on the Surf Coast while keeping a day a week in Melbourne's inner west. The practice writes its name Altereco, one word, and sets its own benchmark rather than designing to minimum standards it expects will soon be outdated. This house was built by Nido Building Group, Passive House certified builders.
Building design Alter Eco Design (@alterecodesign). Photography Eve Wilson (@evewilson). Builder Nido Building Group (@nidobuildinggroup). Seen via @thedesignfiles.
The picture comes from this post on Instagram.
Researched August 2026. I credit each piece as carefully as I can; if you know more about this one, message me on Instagram.