More Than Zero: Getting It Right from the Start

 _Introducing regenerative concepts (buildings that produce more than they consume)._ You're standing on a piece of land in Victoria, perhaps in Melbourne's expanding suburbs or a regional town like Ballarat or Bendigo. Maybe it's your first home site, or you're planning a community centre, or dreaming about that sustainable renovation you've been postponing since 2020. The question gnawing at you isn't whether to build something better, it's whether building something truly regenerative is actually possible in today's construction climate. The news isn't encouraging. Construction costs have jumped 30.8% since COVID began. In 2024 alone, 3,217 building companies collapsed. Your neighbours' builder went under mid-project, leaving them with an unfinished frame and a legal nightmare. Yet here you are, wanting to create something that doesn't just shelter but actively improves the world around it. This chapter will show you how buildings can function as living systems that produce more energy than they consume, harvest more water than they use, and strengthen both ecosystems and communities. Not through wishful thinking, but through specific approaches already working in Victoria and beyond. ## Your Building as Part of Something Larger When the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre at the University of Wollongong became Australia's first fully certified Living Building, it didn't just meet sustainability targets, it produces 200,000 kWh of surplus energy annually, enough to power 40 typical homes. The building literally gives back to its community through the grid. This isn't an isolated achievement. Burwood Brickworks in Melbourne, despite being a shopping centre, achieved Living Building Challenge Petal Certification with its 2,000 square metre rooftop farm that feeds the community below. These buildings work because they're designed as living systems rather than static objects. Just as a tree takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, captures rainwater and prevents erosion, provides habitat and produces seeds, your building can actively participate in natural cycles rather than disrupting them. Think about your current home or workplace. It probably consumes electricity from coal-fired power stations 200 kilometres away, drinks treated water pumped from distant reservoirs, and sends waste to landfills that won't decompose for centuries. Each of these flows represents a broken cycle, resources extracted from one place, consumed in another, discarded somewhere else entirely. Regenerative architecture reconnects these cycles at the building scale. ## The Shift from Less Bad to Net Positive For the past two decades, sustainable building in Australia has focused on star ratings and efficiency metrics. Get your six stars (now seven as of May 2024), install some solar panels, maybe a rainwater tank, and call it sustainable. These improvements matter, a seven-star home uses about 25% less energy than a six-star one. But they're still fundamentally about reduction, about being less bad rather than actively good. Regenerative architecture flips this equation. Instead of asking "How can we reduce harm?" it asks "How can this building actively improve its place?" The difference isn't semantic. When Frasers Property committed to net-zero carbon across their entire portfolio by 2028, they didn't just plan to offset emissions, they're designing buildings that sequester carbon in their materials, with cross-laminated timber structures storing 150-250 kg of CO₂ per square metre of floor space. This shift changes everything about how you approach your project. Rather than seeing your block's slope as a problem requiring expensive retaining walls, you might recognise it as an opportunity for passive cooling and gravity-fed water systems. That remnant River Red Gum isn't a constraint on your building footprint, it's the cornerstone of a microclimate that could eliminate air conditioning needs. The prevailing north-westerly winds that would normally require shuttering become your summer ventilation strategy.  _Getting sustainability right from the beginning - integrated design thinking_ Consider water. A conventional Melbourne home uses about 162,000 litres annually. The same home designed regeneratively might harvest 180,000 litres from its roof, treat greywater onsite for toilet flushing and irrigation, and actually improve local water quality through biofiltered stormwater management. During the Millennium Drought, some Melbourne households achieved complete water independence while their neighbours faced Stage 4 restrictions.  ## When You Actually Need an Architect Not every building project needs an architect. If you're adding a deck, converting a garage, or building a standard project home on a flat block with no overlays, a building designer or even a good builder might suffice. But certain complexity thresholds make architectural expertise essential for regenerative outcomes. Victoria's planning system has become increasingly complex. If your site has a Heritage Overlay, Environmental Significance Overlay, Design and Development Overlay, or Vegetation Protection Overlay, and many inner suburban sites have several, you're navigating a regulatory maze that defeats even experienced builders. In areas with Bushfire Attack Level ratings above BAL-12.5, design requirements multiply exponentially. An architect fluent in these systems can find pathways invisible to others. More importantly, regenerative design requires systems thinking that most building professionals don't possess. When your building needs to integrate rainwater harvesting, solar generation, passive heating and cooling, natural ventilation, greywater treatment, and food production, the interactions between these systems become exponentially complex. Change one element, say, roof pitch for optimal solar generation, and you might inadvertently compromise rainwater collection, natural lighting, and thermal performance. Architects trained in regenerative design understand these interdependencies. The numbers support architectural involvement for complex projects. Research by Melbourne University found that architect-designed homes achieve 21% better energy performance than comparable volume-built houses, even when targeting the same star rating. They also command 17% higher resale values, more than offsetting typical architectural fees of 10-15% of construction cost.  ## Understanding the Real Economics You're probably wondering about cost. The honest answer: regenerative buildings typically cost 10-25% more upfront than conventional construction. In Victoria's current market, with construction costs around $2,576 per square metre for standard homes, that might mean $3,000-$3,200 per square metre for regenerative approaches. For a 200-square-metre home, you're looking at an extra $85,000-$125,000. But this framing misses the real economics. The Sustainable Buildings Research Centre's energy surplus generates approximately $40,000 annually at current feed-in rates. Their water independence saves $2,000 yearly. Reduced maintenance from durable materials saves another 20% annually. Within seven to ten years, the building has paid back its premium and begins generating profit. Health benefits multiply these returns. Occupants of regenerative buildings report 40% fewer sick days. In spaces with proper daylight and ventilation, cognitive performance improves by 26%. If you work from home, as 40% of Victorians now do at least part-time, these productivity gains might be worth $20,000 annually in improved work output. For a family with children, better health and academic performance provide immeasurable value. The market increasingly recognises this value. Green Star-rated buildings in Melbourne achieve 17% rental premiums and 10% sales premiums. As seven-star ratings become mandatory and all-electric requirements expand (all new homes requiring planning permits must be all-electric as of January 2024), buildings that exceed these standards will command increasing premiums while older stock becomes harder to sell. Consider also what you're avoiding. The past five years have seen unprecedented construction failures in Victoria. When builders collapse, and 1,943 did in 2024 alone, owners face average losses of $150,000-$300,000. Regenerative projects, with their emphasis on quality, integrated teams, and long-term thinking, show significantly lower failure rates. The builders who undertake these projects tend to be established firms with strong balance sheets and genuine commitment to outcomes.  ## Your Role in the Design Process If you choose the regenerative path, your relationship with your architect will differ fundamentally from conventional practice. You won't be a client receiving services but a partner in co-creation. This isn't feel-good rhetoric, regenerative design literally requires your knowledge. You understand your site's microclimates in ways no professional could discover in a few visits. You know where frost settles on winter mornings, where the hot afternoon sun strikes in February, which trees the lorikeets visit, where water pools after storms. This observational knowledge, accumulated over seasons or years, provides irreplaceable design intelligence. Your lifestyle patterns matter more than standard architectural assumptions. Maybe you're shift workers who need excellent acoustic isolation. Perhaps you're keen gardeners who'd sacrifice internal space for productive land. You might have elderly parents planning to move in, requiring specific accessibility features. Or you're from a cultural background where extended family gatherings mean conventional living rooms won't work. These aren't constraints, they're design drivers that will make your building uniquely suited to your life. The architect brings different expertise: understanding of structural systems, thermal dynamics, regulatory requirements, and material properties. They know how to model energy performance, calculate structural loads, detail waterproofing, and navigate council approval. But without your knowledge, they're designing in a vacuum. This partnership extends through construction. Rather than disappearing once plans are approved, you'll remain engaged as the building takes shape. You might help source reclaimed materials, coordinate with community groups, or document the building process for future learning. Some owners become so engaged they develop expertise that influences their careers, several clients of regenerative architects have gone on to become sustainability consultants themselves. ## Working Within Victorian Regulations Victoria's regulatory environment increasingly supports regenerative approaches, though navigation requires expertise. The new seven-star NatHERS requirements mean all new homes must achieve energy ratings that were considered premium just five years ago. This isn't just about insulation, it requires sophisticated consideration of orientation, glazing, thermal mass, and ventilation. Regenerative designs often achieve eight or nine stars without significant additional cost, future-proofing against tightening standards. Planning approval timeframes remain challenging, averaging 155 days across Victorian councils, with some complex applications taking over a year. However, many councils now fast-track applications that exceed sustainability requirements. The City of Melbourne's Green Factor Tool rewards projects that include green roofs, walls, and permeable surfaces. Moreland Council's Elevating Environmental Sustainable Design policy requires detailed environmental assessments but then supports projects that demonstrate excellence. The Building and Plumbing Commission, established in July 2025, has consolidated previously fragmented oversight, potentially streamlining approval processes. Early indications suggest they're supportive of innovative approaches that demonstrate superior performance, even when these deviate from conventional methods. For sites with Aboriginal cultural heritage sensitivity, which includes much of Victoria, you'll need to engage with Registered Aboriginal Parties. This isn't just compliance; it's an opportunity to understand your land's deeper history and incorporate Indigenous knowledge about seasonal patterns, water flows, and ecological relationships that can inform regenerative design. ## The Builder Selection Challenge Finding builders capable of delivering regenerative projects remains challenging in Victoria's current construction crisis. With over 3,200 company collapses in 2024 and major builders like Roberts Co's Victorian arm failing in March 2025, due diligence has never been more critical. Regenerative projects require builders who understand integrated systems, commit to quality outcomes, and maintain financial stability for project duration. These builders exist but command premium rates and often have waiting lists. Starting your builder search early, even during design development, gives you time for thorough vetting. Look for builders with demonstrated experience in passive house or high-performance construction. Check their insurance carefully, many policies now exclude innovative building methods unless specifically noted. Verify their financial health through credit checks and industry contacts. Talk to recent clients about not just the finished product but the building process itself. Consider alternative procurement methods. Rather than competitive tendering based solely on price, negotiate with a preferred builder from early design stages. This allows them to provide cost input throughout design, avoiding expensive surprises later. Some regenerative projects use construction management models where you contract directly with trades, providing more control but requiring more involvement.  ## Taking the First Steps Starting your regenerative building journey requires several parallel actions. Begin observing your site systematically. Document sun patterns, prevailing winds, water flows, and existing ecosystems. Take photos from the same positions across seasons. Note where you naturally gravitate at different times of day. This observation journal becomes invaluable design input. Research precedent projects, particularly those in similar Victorian climates. The Cape Paterson Ecovillage, The Commons in Brunswick, and Burwood Brickworks offer different models of regenerative development. Many run open days where you can experience these spaces firsthand and talk with residents about their experiences. Start conversations with your council's planning department. Book a pre-application meeting to understand specific requirements for your site. Ask about fast-tracking options for sustainable projects and any local incentive programs. Some councils offer rate reductions for high-performing buildings or grants for specific sustainability features. Connect with organisations supporting regenerative building. The Australian Institute of Architects' Sustainable Architecture Forum runs regular events. Renew (formerly Alternative Technology Association) provides independent advice on sustainable building. Local Transition Towns groups often include people who've undertaken similar projects. Begin assembling your team early. Beyond an architect, you might need a sustainability consultant for energy modelling, a building biologist for healthy material selection, a permaculture designer for productive landscapes, and potentially a Registered Aboriginal Party representative for cultural heritage consultation. Starting these conversations during concept development rather than documentation saves time and creates better integrated outcomes. Most importantly, clarify your values and intentions. Why do you want a regenerative building? What does success look like beyond the physical structure? How will this building serve not just your immediate needs but your community and ecosystem? These deeper questions, more than any technical specifications, will guide the countless decisions ahead. ## The Path Forward Creating a regenerative building in Victoria today requires navigating genuine challenges, construction cost increases, builder insolvencies, complex regulations, and extended timeframes. But it also offers extraordinary opportunities to create something that gives back more than it takes, that strengthens rather than weakens the systems supporting life. The technical pathways exist. Buildings can generate surplus energy, harvest adequate water, process their own waste, and support biodiversity. The regulatory environment, while complex, increasingly rewards these approaches. The economics, viewed holistically over building lifecycles, strongly favour regenerative approaches. What's needed is your commitment to think differently about what a building can be. Not just shelter from the elements but an active participant in healing the damage of past development. Not just a private asset but a community resource. Not just a construction project but an opportunity to demonstrate that human habitation can enhance rather than degrade the places we call home. Your building project, however modest, can contribute to this transformation. By choosing regenerative approaches, engaging in genuine partnership with design professionals, and maintaining focus on long-term value over short-term savings, you join a growing movement proving that buildings can be forces for regeneration rather than depletion. The question isn't whether regenerative architecture is possible in Victoria, projects across the state prove it is. The question is whether you're ready to move beyond conventional thinking and create something that truly lives, breathes, and gives back to the world around it. --- ## Key Summary: Architecture as Living System You came to this chapter wondering if regenerative buildings were actually possible in Victoria's challenging construction climate. The answer is yes, but only if you fundamentally reimagine what buildings can be. The Sustainable Buildings Research Centre at Wollongong doesn't just meet sustainability targets, it pumps 200,000 kWh back into the grid annually. Burwood Brickworks shopping centre grows food on its roof. These aren't isolated experiments but proven models you can adapt. The shift from "less bad" to "net positive" changes everything about how you'll approach your project. Here's what actually matters: Seven-star NatHERS compliance is now mandatory, but regenerative buildings achieve eight or nine stars without significant extra cost. Yes, you'll pay 10-25% more upfront, that's $3,000-$3,200 per square metre instead of the standard $2,576. But when your building generates surplus energy, harvests all its water, and delivers 40% fewer sick days for occupants, that premium pays back within seven to ten years. The 10-21% property premium is just bonus. You need an architect when your site has multiple overlays, when systems get complex (integrating water, energy, food production), or when you're dealing with Aboriginal cultural heritage. Not because regulations demand it, but because these complexities become opportunities only if someone knows how to read them. That steep slope becomes passive cooling. That heritage overlay becomes a conversation with deep time. The biggest shift? Stop thinking of your architect as service provider. You know things about your site they never could, where frost settles, how afternoon light moves, which corners feel right. They know how to translate these observations into buildings that actively heal country. Partnership, not service. Co-creation, not delegation. Start by watching your site across seasons. Document your actual life patterns, not fantasy versions. Calculate 30-year costs, not just construction quotes. And ask yourself: what will this building give back? --- ## Chapter Resources [**Australian Institute of Architects - Regenerative Design Resources →**](https://acumen.architecture.com.au/environment/making-it-happen/regenerative-design-approaches/) _Comprehensive frameworks and tools from the Australian Institute of Architects to assist architects on their regenerative journey, from design principles to specification. Includes best practice guidance for regenerative design approaches in Australian contexts._