Building Sustainable Futures: Our Story
The Call to Adventure: A Global Search for Purpose
The story of SustainaBuilding begins not in an office, but on the open road. At age 21, Simon embarked on a world-spanning journey, hitchhiking across continents. This period of travel and reflection planted the seed of a significant life goal: to one day build his own house. This was not a commercial ambition but a personal dream, a "call to adventure" that satisfied his primal ambition of providing shelter for his future family. It seemed distant and aspirational.
Crossing the Threshold: A Newfound Mission in Adelaide
The catalyst for transforming this dream into a tangible plan was a pivotal life event. While working on oil rigs and cattle stations in the Australian Outback, Simon received the news that he was to become a father. This moment served as the "crossing of the threshold," prompting a fundamental shift in priorities. He made the conscious decision to leave the fly-in, fly-out lifestyle and its high income behind, choosing instead to build a new life and a new set of skills closer to home for his growing family.
He embarked on a carpentry apprenticeship, a move his wife astutely noted would be instrumental in achieving his long-held goal of building their own home.
The Rabbit Warren: Mastering the Science of Building Better
Simon's journey into carpentry was not merely about learning a trade; it was the beginning of a passionate quest for knowledge. Driven by an inquisitive nature and a hunger to build not just well, but to build the best, he delved deep into the world of advanced building science. This exploration became a "rabbit warren" of discovery, leading him far beyond conventional Australian construction methods.
His self-directed education encompassed a wide array of progressive building methodologies, including Earthships, the Living Building Challenge, and the rigorous principles of PassiveHaus design. He supplemented this with specialized courses such as hempcrete construction, opening his eyes to the potential of alternative, sustainable materials. His practical experience was further honed while working for a builder specializing in constructing solar passive homes.
Still hungry for more, he pursued and completed the Passive House tradesperson course, followed by advanced studies in building science analytics, including WUFI (Wärme Und Feuchte Instationär—transient heat and moisture analysis) and Flixo thermal bridge analysis.
The Ordeal and The Reward: Building Our Own Sustainable Sanctuary
The ultimate test of this accumulated knowledge was the decision to owner-build his own family home. In 2019, after securing a piece of property, he obtained his residential builder's license and, a year later, began the project. This endeavour was undertaken during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, with its associated price increases and material shortages.
The home was meticulously designed using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) for optimal energy efficiency and integrated key principles from the Living Building Challenge. What began with Simon and one mate soon grew into a small, dedicated team. Despite budget pressures forcing a reduction in some alternative materials, the core focus remained on creating a high-performance, airtight building envelope—the elements most difficult to retrofit later.
After a year and a half of hands-on work, Simon and his family was able to move into the completed upper storey. This moment was the "reward"—the culmination of a decade-long dream. The sale of their previous house funded the home's completion over the following year. This house is not a sterile display home, a common marketing tool for volume and luxury builders. It is a real, lived-in "demonstration home," born of necessity, expertise, and passion. It stands as the ultimate proof of concept, tangibly demonstrating the SustainaBuildings promise and answering your unspoken question: "Would you live in a house you build?" with an undeniable "Yes!"
The Road Back: Founding SustainaBuilding
With his family's home complete, Simon returned to the professional world with a new mission: to bring this same level of quality, comfort, and sustainability to other families in Adelaide. The company was founded to fill a clear market gap, as there were few builders in Adelaide with the hands-on experience and deep knowledge required to execute PassiveHaus Certifiable construction.
The lessons learned and the team forged during the owner-build process became the foundation of the company. Today, SustainaBuilding offers a range of services, from custom new homes to renovations and additions, all informed by the core principles of building science. The team's expertise also extends to prefabrication, and a continued commitment to alternative materials like hempcrete, straw bale, and mud brick. This award-winning expertise ensures that every project, regardless of scale, is designed and built to enhance the well-being of its occupants while minimizing its impact on the planet.