SCEC's WEDFest June Green Drinks
The Sunshine Coast Environment Council cordially invites you to a panel discussion on 'Designing and Building with Sustainability in Mind’. This Green Drinks program is scheduled for our June 2025 event in honour of World Environment Day. We will present four industry experts and homeowners who exemplify best practices in construction. They will answer questions on materials, techniques and explain opportunities in our region through sharing their experiences on how they transformed residential and commercial construction sites. Methods will be showcased of ways to conserve finite resources, help fight climate change and prevent biodiversity loss to engage in meaningful action towards mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.
You won't want to miss this event, so RSVP here
Speakers
Adrian Just is Principal Architect of Archicology Architecture, a leading residential and commercial firm on the Sunshine Coast. He has won various awards across residential and commercial categories for his abundant portfolio of 500 projects with the delivery of significant sustainable built environment projects. Just is a Queensland State Chapter Councillor for the Australian Institute of Architects, and previously served as regional Chair of the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay areas. Additionally, he was the Chair of the Sunshine Coast Open House committee, and President of the Cleantech Industries Association.
Community work has always been very important to Just, so he joined and remains active on many committees including the Cultural Heritage Reference group. Today Just is semi-retired, but he continues to engage in projects such as the Meals on Wheels site refurbishment in Nambour. Above all, Just loves working with people. Maintaining strong relationships has led to repeat work for clients and direct referrals.
Anthony Wynne-Hoelscher is the Principal Designer of Eco Modern Designs. He believes in creating house designs that are sustainable whilst modern and minimal. He focuses on integrating passive climate management for comfort, cost savings and healthier living of clients. His passion extends from designing beautiful homes that ‘breathe’ to minimising the embodied energy that goes into construction at the beginning of the design stage. Wynne-Hoelscher identifies a homeowner’s particular climate zone to understand how to help the client make informed choices for a house that is thermally comfortable with minimal auxiliary heating or cooling requirements.
Eco Modern Designs range from mid-century and modern barn and beach houses to contemporary or plantation styles suited to the countryside. They are all stylish, and the designer is flexible about creating off-grid dwellings to suit a homeowner’s preferences and lifestyle. According to Wynne-Hoelscher, more people recognise that climate change will impact our children and grandchildren if we don’t reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. So, Eco Modern Designs strives to build personalised homes that reflect a cutting-edge aesthetic; yet they are practical and responsible for the future.
Johan Tijssen migrated from Holland and became a pioneer of eco-conscious construction systems. He is a key figure of Australia’s hemp building industry. As founder of HempBLOCK International, he developed and applied a fast and simple system to construct with natural, long-lasting materials.
Tigssen secured patents, trademarks and certifications, created manuals and training programs, and fostered international partnerships to support the growing demand for hempcrete as a sustainable construction material. It is becoming readily accessible in Australia through suppliers and builders like Johan T Building & Design. Tigssen’s work thus transforms how contractors build, and it changes how Sunshine Coasters live. HempBLOCK homes offer outstanding benefits to health, safety and comfort in terms of improved insulation, fire resistance, and indoor air quality. Further, hempcrete, a bio-composite building material, has been highly touted for its energy efficiency resulting in structures that are positive for the planet.
Queensland’s first Hempcrete house, a two-story penthouse located in Moffat Beach, Caloundra.
Lindy Chan and her husband, Rod, retired early to self-build a home in the eucalypt remnant forest of Reesville in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Their house is perched just above ground level with entry to the front door via a boardwalk. An open house plan offers impressive double height ceilings, natural hardwood flooring and a wide deck that allows views across the sloping ridge beyond.
The couple spent many years of research to determine their home design that incorporates passive solar principles, especially to maximise the use of natural light and ventilation to connect the beautiful home with its surroundings. It is totally off-grid for electricity, water, and waste, and it conforms to bushfire resilience standards within its BAL29 rated bushfire zone. Rod and Lindy selected sustainable materials for the structure, largely from renewable and recycled local products, and healthy finishes include low VOC paints, and natural oil sealer.
Join us for this great free event, by registering HERE