Built for Comfort

Built for Comfort Postcard Page 1 edited

Building or renovating a home is one of the biggest financial investments that you will ever make, so it’s important to get it right from the start!

If you’re designing your own home you’ll have more flexibility to get it right, but if you’re buying a project home or renovating there are still lots of simple changes you can make to your design to ensure your new home is ‘built for comfort’.

The Built for Comfort Design Guide (PDF, 14MB) outlines simple and cost-effective design principles that will help you to build a comfortable home that is suited to Camden’s climate. The design guide is supported by a Built for Comfort video series to help make your home:

More resilient and comfortable with consistent temperatures year-round reducing the need for active heating and cooling;
Affordable to operate with lower heating and cooling costs;
Quieter by using insulation, quality windows and draught-proofing to block out noise
More valuable and attractive for resale; and
Better for the environment, with reduced carbon emissions.

Information Workshops

Find out how to make sure you get your building or renovating job right from the start and make sure your home is built for comfort. Our two FREE workshops, delivered by independent building consultant Brad Hoad, provide residents looking to build or renovate their home with practical design advice that is specific to the Camden area.

Learn about simple and effective ways to improve the thermal performance of your home and make it more affordable to operate through simple changes to things like orientation and layout.

Places are limited so get in quick to secure your seat! Register below.

Free Home Design Consultations

Council is giving up to 40 local households the opportunity to receive FREE and independent one-on-one design advice for your renovation or new build. The consultation will help you identify opportunities to incorporate design principles to ensure your home is built for comfort year-round, and cheaper to run.

Book a FREE consultation session for your home.

Terms and Conditions

To be eligible, participants must either be current residents of the Camden Local Government Area, or planning to build a new home within the Camden Local Government Area.
Renovation projects must be substantial in nature.
Participants must be willing to provide relevant photos, house plans and land information for discussion with the consultant during the consultation.
All efforts will be made to find a time that suits both the sustainable design consultant and the participants, however, available times will be limited.
Consultations will run for a maximum of 45 minutes per booking.

Built for Comfort Video Series

Check out these short videos for tips on how to ensure your home is Built for Comfort:

Orientation and layout – how you locate your house on your land can make a big difference. Find out where rooms are best located to get the most out of natural sunlight, heat and breezes.

Insulation and sealing your house – the key to a comfortable home is keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer by ensuring it is well insulated and sealed.

Solar power – learn how to make the sun work for you and your family.

Heating and cooling – choosing the right system and getting the most out of your heating and cooling can make a big difference to the comfort, and running costs, of your home.

Hot water – with hot water responsible for a big part of your energy bill it’s useful to learn which system will be right for your home.

Useful links

BASIX - NSW Government residential planning tool for new developments and complying development.

Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources - Energy reduction information.

Australian Passive House Association - Independent information for comfortable, healthy, low energy and resilient buildings.

YourHome - An Australian guide to building sustainably.

For more information about this project, please contact Council's Sustainability Team on 4654 7777.