SMARTS TENT
The ultimate destination for anyone interested in high-performance housing, healthy homes, and sustainability.
You'll find recording of the build series, project overviews, building research, and educational content designed to help you get a better understanding of the techniques and materials we use to create homes for the future.
What if building a home didn’t take years, blow budgets, or waste materials?
Future Building brings together innovative thinkers reshaping the construction industry through modular systems, prefabrication, and emerging technologies. This on-stage conversation explores how efficiency, effectiveness, and entrepreneurial thinking are changing the way homes are designed and delivered. From new materials and manufacturing approaches to affordability, sustainability, and scalability, the discussion looks at what’s working now—and what’s coming next.Practical, honest, and forward-focused, this session is perfect for builders, designers, developers, students, and anyone curious about how we’ll build better homes for the future.
Anthony Jenkin - Outlier Studio / Panel Haus / Flexihouse
A healthy home isn’t about gadgets — it’s about how air, heat, and moisture are managed. This talk explores why air tightness matters, how good ventilation keeps homes fresh and healthy, and how smart climate management delivers comfort without high energy bills. Learn practical, real-world principles you can apply to new builds and existing homes alike.
Karl Waldron - Waldrons Sustainability
Allan Hocking - Hocking Homes
Insulation only works when it’s continuous. This talk explores the critical relationship between insulation and thermal bridges — the hidden pathways where heat escapes and comfort is lost. We’ll unpack why many homes still underperform despite being “well insulated,” and how smarter detailing can dramatically improve results. The session covers practical retrofit strategies for existing homes, what to prioritise in new builds, and explores new and emerging approaches to insulation that improve performance, safety, and sustainability. Getting the building envelope right isn’t just about energy efficiency — it’s about healthier homes, lower bills, and homes ready for a changing climate.
Curious about how heat pumps perform in cold climates? Join us for an insightful talk exploring how modern heat pump technology works, why they remain efficient even in freezing temperatures, and how they can slash energy bills while reducing carbon footprints. Experts will explain the science behind heat pumps, share real-world case studies, and discuss rebates and installation tips. Whether you're considering switching to a heat pump or just want to understand the technology, this session will answer your questions. Don’t miss this chance to learn how heat pumps can keep your home warm, even in winter!
Reclaim Energy
2024
Outlier Studios / Sustainable Builders Alliance
After a stint in his early 20s as a carpenter, Anthony has been on a mission ever since to improve Australia’s building design and construction. He has over 15 years of industry experience and is on a quest to educate Australians about the benefits of designing and building better.
10:00 - 10:45
A virtual tour of a regional home that embraced building-science and biophilic design to become Australia's first Certified Passivhaus-Premium, off-grid, all-electric, prefabricated strawbale house. Learn about the ethos and principles of this healthy home and how they could inspire your own sustainability journey.
Talina Edwards is passionate about creating healthy, beautiful, functional, comfortable and sustainable architecture which combines building-science and biophilic-design. Biophilia is about our intuitive connection to nature, where the health and wellbeing of people and planet are inextricably linked. This ethos extends to our purpose to ‘care for country’ and cultivating a living future for all.
Talina is a registered Architect with over 25 years experience and is a Director of Envirotecture and Passivhaus Design & Construct. She has received many awards and gained recognition as an industry leader, known for her regenerative design ethos, and her generous advocacy contributions to the community to help build a better future.
11:45 - 12:10
An owner, A Designer, A Builder walk into a bar.... Just kidding we just want to have a productive chat lead by questions from the audiences. A series of words will be on the screen and you choose what we should talk about and share our individual perspectives.
COST / HEALTH / PROCESS / FRUSTRATION / SUCCESS / PASSIVE HAUS / MOULD / VENTILATED ROOF / CHANGE / PROBLEMS / TRADES / AIT TIGHTNESS / RENOVATION / COMMUNICATION / ENGINEERING / LOCAL UP-SKILL / RESISTANCE TO CHANGE / AIR CHANGES / RANGE HOODS
Talina Edwards - Evirotecture
Dean Blackman - Blackman Homes
Justin Weyers - Buninyong Sustainability
12:15 - 12:45
Our Mission
By 2030 we want to have supported and sustainably impacted 1 Million renovators globally!
We believe
To diversify the home improvement market supply through innovations and healthier, circular, low-impact product and service choices will significantly reduce the environmental overshoot.
Our solution
A new platform for renovators to improve their sustainable decision making and increase their property value through a simple easy to use experience
13:00 - 13:15
Reclaim Energy
13:00 - 13:15
Breaze.org.au
13:30 - 13:45
How can your behaviour change conserve energy and help your community and save you money.
sustainability.vic.gov.au
14:30 - 15:00
