Sustainability from the start

At his building design studio, Sonogan Design, Surf Coast local Tim Sonogan is passionate about keeping sustainability in mind from the very beginning.

For many people, sustainability means add-ons and extras such as water tanks, solar panels and double glazing.

But to Sonogan, sustainability is found in the design, from building orientation to cross ventilation, right through to fittings and fixtures – it is built into the foundations of every house, and it begins in the design process.

“The sustainable value of your home is pretty much done at the very first stage of the build in the schematic design,” he said.

“You see the initial design value the most once everything is done, when everything is said and done. If you buy an old house and you retrofit sustainability aspects like solar panels, double glazing, or a HVAC system into it, whatever you do it will never perform as well as a design that’s built from scratch using the environment in mind from the get go.

“I take a project right through from the beginning of design, through the schematics, through the development of design, through the working drawings, through the building permit, or planning permit, then tender, then contract admin, which is working onsite with the builder to make sure the build is actually done the way that its designed, in line with the plans and everything.”

Sonogan describes his style as “modern sustainable”.

He said eco-friendly, with its neutral tones and natural textures, doesn’t mean lack of taste.

“My design philosophy is based around sustainability, and the aesthetic and everything follows from that.

“Not full-blown straw bale, mud earth, and that sort of stuff, because sustainability carries a bit of a stigma, especially with cost and aesthetic, but I think that’s kind of changing a little bit.

Sonogan said focusing on building orientation, such as living areas on the northern side of the house for sun exposure during the day and to heat the house in winter, was a huge element of sustainable design.

He also often uses raked ceilings to increase effective cross ventilation and, at the same time, a feeling of space.

“And using a plethora of materials with low maintenance and longevity. Earthy muted tones to suit the landscape and site generally, and low embodied energy in the timber application where it is designed to be accessible for maintenance. It’s really about building a suitable home for the environment that it’s in.”

With this in mind, Sonogan said since moving to the Surf Coast and starting Sonogan Design, his design styles and techniques have been moulded by the Surf Coast’s unique environment as he has learnt to work with it.

“It’s just me, I just service the clients, it’s been interesting over the 10 years, I’ve grown organically.

“It’s relevant to every environment, and there are different environments, but I kind of honed a certain design style and technique on the Surf Coast.”

Sonogan said his transition into sustainably focused building design can perhaps be traced back further than the beginning of his business, to lessons he learned growing up on a farm in a handy family.

“I grew up on organic farm, and on that farm we were designing and building all sorts of structures and things that work with the environment, so cross ventilation, solar orientation, all of that sustainability stuff that goes into a lot of my designs.

“Dad’s a jack of all trades and builder/engineer. We built things from houses, to bluestone sheds, horse stables to wind turbines and machines.

“Growing up not having much really, and kind of being of forced to design in a way where you’re working with the environment instead of pushing it away like building a box with an air-conditioning, which is very power-intensive.

“So when I start off a fresh design, that is paramount about what drives the design in the process from beginning to end, and that’s where clients see the biggest results in the way their house performs at the end of a design.

“It’s really about the base sustainability, and then all of the added features like double glazing and solar PV.”

Sonogan doesn’t scoff at sustainable add-ons, but his philosophy remains: whether he’s working with first time homeowners on a budget, or someone on their third home, it’s the design that matters more.

‘The fundamentals are really what’s important, and then the extra add ons and retro fittings just has to build up on that for a nice sustainable home,” he said.

“I guess I realised the value in sustainability.”