WINNER – 2023 HIA Australian GreenSmart Home of the Year (Yellow Rock Passivhaus) WINNER – 2023 HIA Australian GreenSmart Custom Built Home (Yellow Rock Passivhaus) HIGHLY COMMENDED – GreenSmart Energy Efficiency (Yellow Rock Passivhaus) FINALIST –  Energy Efficiency (Topaz Passivhaus, Leura) FINALIST –  Custom Built (Topaz Passivhaus, Leura) New South Wales-based company Blue Eco […]

A home rebuilt after the 2013 bushfires in Yellow Rock has taken out the top prize in the prestigious 2023 Housing Industry Association (HIA) Australian GreenSmart Awards.

Joe and Merylese Mercieca at their passive home in Yellow Rock. (Hamish Dunlop) Hamish Dunlop talks with Joe and Merylese Mercieca at Blue Eco Homes about the journey from a ‘fibromajestic’ home in Warrimoo to their newly completed Passivhaus in Yellow Rock. They discuss how sustainable design and building methods can support human health and […]

A fully accessible, exceptionally energy efficient and multi-generational home won NSW sustainable builder Blue Eco Homes the highest accolade, the 2023 HIA Australian GreenSmart Home at the prestigious 2023 HIA Australian GreenSmart Awards announced today. The home also won HIA Australian GreenSmart Custom Built Home, partnered by COLORBOND steel. This is the third time Blue […]

West of Sydney, the Blue Mountains rises dramatically from the suburban sprawl. It’s known for its soaring sandstone rock formations, native bushland and quaint villages. This World Heritage-listed wonderland is counterbalanced by the ever-present extremes of nature. High temperatures, low rainfall and periods of high winds makes it one of the most bushfire-prone areas in […]

Yellow Rock resident Bethany Mercieca has been named the Housing Industry Association’s (HIA) Australian Apprentice of the Year.

Name: Beth Mercieca Role: Apprentice Carpenter, Blue Eco Homes Location: Blue Mountains, NSW 🇦🇺 Instagram: @chickenchippybuilds Brief role description/main responsibilities. As an apprentice carpenter, my main role is to assist the carpenter tradesperson onsite with whatever tasks are needed, whilst also learning and improving my skills. With the course I am doing it is completely […]

Growing up with her dad working in the construction industry, Bethany took any opportunity she could to go to the job site with him. Her passion for construction grew and once she completed her schooling, she started work as a labourer. She quickly realised that she loved being on site more than anything and made […]

The Sharpest Tool in the Shed: Tradies Taking the Lead In the conversation around the quality of Australian buildings, the workmanship delivered by tradies often comes under fire. But even when homes meet the requirements of the building code, study after study shows Australian homes are still often too cold in winter, too hot in […]