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"New light through old windows" is a great metaphor I use within my designs and also a best of album for Chris Rea a 70's / 80's pop artist. My design ethos draws from many sources, some relating to social justice, indigenous culture and music to name a few. When armed with these, designing for any region or site ensures it has relevance not only to the natural landscape into which it is sites, but also the culture of that region.

As I was waiting for a bus at Redcliffe and there was some graffiti which went "A watched proverb butters no parsnips" which after years of sleepless nights I felt means, we can waste our time looking at a problem but inaction results in no change so it is never solved.

The Queensland Government currently are advertising Q2 but does anyone know what happened to Question 1? Inaction by legislators and much rhetoric has left us with a warm and fuzzy feeling but this is no more than emotive talk without an action plan to solve the problems. It reminds me of "The great rock n roll swindle" where we are expected to accept the norm and not rebel against it.

What is Sustainable design is the most common question I am asked? Quite simply it can be described as just responsible design. The simpler you design a building, incorporating good design principles, the better it will work environmentally and as a place to dwell or work. It is not about providing something new or totally innovative and modern, but by taking several steps back and examining what has necessitated change to traditional building forms over the past two hundred years in this country will ensure that it relates to its' environment better.

If you look at the original Queenslanders you will notice the adaptations that have been made to respond better to our climate. This can be seen with the verandahs, high ceilings and being raised off the ground as just a few examples. What we have to do is to take the elements that work climatically and provide other adaption's to ensure we have a building that relates to the climatic in which it is set. Our biggest failure has been to take building forms and systems from other regions with different climatic controls and therefore discover that of course they do not work as well in an environmental response. This in turn results in higher energy usage to either cool or heat the buildings since they cannot respond on their own.

We at Sustainable ensure that our designs work in relation to providing solutions therefore have a stronger connection and relevance which cannot always be initially visible, but exist none the same.

I might leave you with a link that some can relate to over this festive season. Since I started with Chris Rea I will leave you with "Driving Home for Christmas". Sorry for those who don't get the inspiration I have gained from this decade of music.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=0L6_wmwQ4Wg