Makao

28/07/2025

Stronger building protections are now in place across Victoria.

The new Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) has the power to act on post-occupancy defects and hold industry (particularly developers and builders) to account.

The goal is stronger consumer protection and peace of mind for homeowners.

Yes, this is a big step forward, but lasting change will depend on how these powers are enforced in practice. Oversight and transparency will be key.

Images // Unsplash

18/07/2025

Project Spotlight: Balwyn Medical Centre, a healthcare facility in Balwyn by Jesse Ant Architects. Our Role: Engaged at the town-planning stage to deliver ESD services.

📸 Design & Image // Jesse Ant Architects

02/12/2023

Beyond minimum building code requirements: where do sustainable homes go from here?

We recently toured the Hawthorn-based ECHO town houses, designed by Neil Architecture, to find out. This will be Australia's first off-the-plan certified Passive House project (an elite sustainability standard for high performance buildings).

The Speckel consulting team brilliantly illuminated the intricacies behind Passive House—what sets it apart.

Developed by C.Street, the journey has tested the limits of business-as-usual construction. From navigating design/construction challenges and integrating creative solutions, to withstanding rigorous performance testing, the stakes were high.

The result?

High performance houses that won't just achieve net zero, but attempt what few projects dare. Homes promising comfort and tiny energy bills thanks to a weather tight envelope, fresh air supply, conscious design, and renewables.

The project may lift the bar for residential sustainability in Australia, not just Hawthorn. And it was delightful to get a peek behind the curtain.

Visit echoprojects.com.au to go deeper and read more about the development.

What's your non-negotiable must-have for your dream home?

01/12/2023

Project spotlight: A private client invited us to bring our sustainability expertise to the design of a new off-grid home within an orchard property in Southwest Victoria.

Big Picture: The design intent was to create a net zero, low environmental impact home inspired by Earthship principles that relies on passive solar design and renewable energy, while connecting occupants to the surrounding landscape. RE2 Architecture applied their experience with organic architecture and sustainable homes to create the vision for this project.

What we did: We handpicked sustainability initiatives suitable for an isolated, orchard site with grid connection as a backup—rather than the primary energy source.

Here's a quick look:

— We explored rainwater harvesting and on-site greywater treatment/recycling to provide self-sufficient water supply.

— Then we looked at thermal mass, natural ventilation, and smart orientation and shading strategies to promote passive solar design and indoor comfort with no HVAC system.

— The structure features locally-sourced and natural materials with preserved tree cover to limit site disruption. Rammed earth was selected for all internal and external walls.

— Key features included North-facing winter garden buffers using greenhouse effects for internal climate control (nigh purging), and pitched solar roof panels to limit summer heat gains.

— These and other initiatives then informed the off-grid solar and battery systems for achieving positive energy use (the home generates more energy than it uses).

In the end, the design focuses on sculpting light-filled, indoor-outdoor spaces to foster that connection to nature.

RE2 Architecture | Concept Images: https://www.facebook.com/re2architecture/videos/731890414427081

Bottom Line: The outcome is an environmentally sound, self-sufficient home that champions the natural landscape and organic forms found in its surroundings.

12/10/2023

The (cold) ocean acts as a giant natural CO2 sponge, absorbing about 25% of the planet's carbon dioxide emissions.

Companies like Equatic and Captura Corp are proposing strategies to remove CO2 from the ocean—also known as Direct Ocean Capture or DOC. Both companies say they could eventually remove carbon dioxide from the ocean for around US$100 per tonne.

The core idea? Remove the gas from the ocean to make room for it to soak up even more.

As with most engineering projects, this isn't a free lunch.

The process they've created consumes a good chunk of energy—about 2.2 megawatt-hours per tonne of CO2 removed. In Captura's case, renewables can be used to meet this energy demand. Additionally, about half of that energy cost can potentially be offset by the 35 kilograms of hydrogen produced per tonne of CO2. Boeing signed a deal in June to purchase 2,100 metric tons of green hydrogen from Equatic for sustainable aviation fuel.

The tech is still pretty new and has its sceptics. As a United Nations panel put it:

“Engineering-based removal activities are technologically and economically unproven, especially at scale, and pose unknown environmental and social risks.”

Similarly, while I find the engineering behind this intriguing, I'm leaning towards what Mark Spalding, the head of the Ocean Foundation, has to say.

He believes there are many unknowns to invest heavily in this right now. We've got to be careful about altering the ocean's chemistry and pH levels. We don't know if pulling CO2 out will solve one problem but create another. So why not focus on solutions that are less risky and have a better shot at working?

If Direct Ocean Capture is still up for debate, there are other, less controversial ways to tackle the issue, like seagrass restoration and conservation.

Image from Captura Corp

01/10/2023

Companies in the building materials sector are rarely seen as glamorous, if ever.

However, many of them boast robust financials beneath the surface.

The story of Kingspan's rise from a conversation in an Irish pub on the outskirts of Dublin in 1965 to a €13 billion market capitalisation is remarkable. Especially to business enthusiasts.

For context:

Kingspan specialises in building insulation products. The company's products are used in iconic structures such as the MCG in Melbourne to the Apple building in the US.

This fascinating interview, features an investor's POV of the company. Nick Griffin, CIO of Munro Partners, provides an insightful behind-the-scenes look at:

— Kingspan's operations, acquisition and organic growth strategies, and how they maintain profitability.
— How the company navigated a near-death crisis due to over-exposure in the residential sector in 2008.
— He then touches on risks, London's Grenfell Tower, and the subsequent inquiry.
— And the march to net-zero emissions.

🔗 Here's the link for the curious minds:
https://www.joincolossus.com/episodes/33864041/griffin-kingspan-influential-irish-insulation?tab=transcript

I'd love to hear a 'How I Built This' episode of Eugene Murtagh—Kingspan's founder and current majority shareholder. 15% annual growth over thirty years is nothing short of impressive.

It would be enlightening to learn how he expanded a family-run enterprise across geographical regions.

Between the lines:

The pe*******on rate for building insulation is still surprisingly low, with roughly 20% buildings in the US and in (Australia is in the 30s). When coupled with the tailwinds from net-zero initiatives, the business appears poised for a promising future.

However, like all companies in the construction sector, they are not immune to the cyclical nature of the industry—but they seems to have managed to navigate this well so far. A breakdown worth studying.

Nick Griffin is the Founding Partner and CIO of Munro Partners. We cover the role of insulation panels in construction, how Kingspan's products help achieve energy efficiency targets, the company's strategy of growth through acquisitions.

27/05/2023

Exciting news!

Tomorrow, I have the privilege of speaking at the Perspectives Exhibition for Melbourne Design Week — alongside the brilliant minds of Jocelyn Chiew (City of Melbourne) and Alberto Kritzler.

Looking forward to delving into fascinating questions and conversations!

A big thank you to the Collective Futures team for orchestrating what promises to be a memorable event.

Free tomorrow?

You can reserve a spot here:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sustainable-modalities-tickets-577622122317

This event is part of Melbourne Design Week 2023, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV.

- Kelvin

National Gallery of Victoria

24/11/2022

Earlier this year we had the privilege to collaborate with the brilliant minds behind on two projects. (OFFICE is a not-for-profit multidisciplinary design and research practice based in Melbourne).

Both projects are located in inner Melbourne—Ascot Vale and Port Melbourne. Both projects were earmarked for potential demolishing as part of a broader public housing renewal plan.

And in both projects—

OFFICE looked into whether the Retain Repair Reinvest (RRR) model could be applied thoughtfully in the public housing space. That is, is it technically and financially feasible to refurbish these existing buildings?

This triple R model explores refurbishment as an alternative to demolition & rebuild. Its principles are simple yet powerful:

→ Retain existing communities by not relocating residents
→ Repair existing buildings to reduce carbon emissions
→ Reinvest savings to improve comfort and upgrade public housing

Makao's role focused on solving the sustainability piece—particularly energy use and maintaining indoor comfort for the residents. We'll share more details in future posts.

📝 You can find the study results (and much more) at

10/11/2022

Project Spotlight: Residential development located in Croydon (28 km east of Melbourne) within the suburb's residential growth zone. The project was designed to house a mix of two, three, and four bedroom townhomes—13 in total. The architecture team at Archiworks invited Makao to provide ESD services at town planning stage. Project status: WIP.⠀

📸 Architecture and Image: Archiworks

08/11/2022

Project spotlight: Located in Wyndham City Council, this industrial development was designed to contain warehouses on ground floor and ancillary spaces on the mezzanine. Makao advised on stormwater management—and then provided ESD feedback that went on to inform the design at town planning stage.

📸 Image: Red18 Architects