Get It Right with Undercover Architect

When Sustainability Meets Real Life: The Perfect Home, with Shauna

Jul 7, 2025
Discover how Shauna navigated her home-building journey with a long-term vision, balancing budget and sustainability. She shares her choice of a design-build approach to manage complexities and enhance communication. From smart site planning for a sloped, bushfire-risk area to implementing Green Star targets, her decisions focused on efficiency and livability. Hear about her practical choices that improved daily life, and the confidence she gained in advocating for her needs during construction. Celebrate the joys and surprises of her newly finished home.
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INSIGHT

Decisions Filtered By Better-Than-Alternatives

  • Shauna tested every decision against the question: is this still better than renovating or buying instead?
  • That filter kept trade-offs pragmatic and prevented perfectionism from stalling progress.
ADVICE

Vet Design-Build For Real Design Service

  • If you choose a design-build route, ask designer-style questions to confirm the design service level you need.
  • Treat the design-build like any team hire: probe deliverables, involvement and IP handling before signing.
ANECDOTE

Direct Designer Access Speeded Decisions

  • Shauna worked directly with a small design-build firm and could email and call the designer directly during design.
  • They iterated quickly and cut about 30–35 sqm to meet her budget while keeping core outcomes.
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