Perth, it’s time to end your love affair with big homes

Australia currently has the largest homes in the world, and WA among the largest homes in the country - with new houses over 40% bigger than they were 40 years ago.

Over the years the consumer has become convinced that they need four bedrooms, a home theatre, a butler’s pantry, a mudroom and more – and urban sprawl has facilitated this. If you have a look at the web pages for project builders you will see four bedrooms and a multitude of additional rooms is fairly standard.

But with ever diminishing household sizes, an increasing proportion of single person households, and a rental supply crisis, this doesn’t really make sense. Large homes not only impact the environment but also affordability. 

You really have to ask do we need all of these rooms and all of this space? Would we be better off in less space just better – and more sustainably - designed?

Impact on the environment

Larger homes have greater impact on the environment because they use more materials in construction and more energy to heat and cool. Clearly, they also take up more space, so that’s greater destruction of natural habitats at the fringe to build them – or destruction of existing homes in our character suburbs – and less space left for trees and garden.

I think many people aren’t aware of the link between the construction industry and climate change.

I was surprised myself to learn that the built environment accounts for about 39% of carbon emissions globally in construction and operation. The data was certainly a wake up call for me.

People want to do the right thing – whether it’s reusing plastic bags or disposing of household waste in FOGO bins – they just need to be shown how.

Benefits of more sustainable homes

More sustainable homes are not just good for the environment but also for occupants – saving them money on heating and cooling and making homes more comfortable to live in year round. Anyone who has lived in a house with windows facing west can tell you how uncomfortable this is in a scorching Perth summer, not to mention the cost of cooling.

Last year we saw the National Construction Code amended to move from 6 star homes to more sustainable 7 star homes. While 7 stars is not yet mandatory here in WA, voluntary adoption of this standard could be encouraged by the state government through an education campaign for consumers.

As I said above, people want to do the right thing – they just need to be shown how.

Current trends

I am definitely seeing a trend of smaller, more sustainable homes by architects – their clients valuing quality of space over quantity. There is certainly a market for it.

In the Australian Institute of Architects WA Awards last year the winner of the top residential award, Jimmy’s House, shows how beautiful, high quality spaces can be achieved on a tight 256 sqm site with an environmentally sensitive design.

Jimmy’s House is only 140 sqm – that’s about 100 sqm less than the average new built in Australia. And incredibly the home’s planted gardens and courtyards are greater in area than its lot size, taking a strong stance again the trend of large homes with ever diminishing gardens.

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Read the story published on WA Today, 30 January 2023, link here:

WA property: Perth, it’s time to end your love affair with big homes (watoday.com.au)