JOSH'S HOUSE OPEN DAY SUCCESS

Even the good weather turned out for Sustainable House Day on Sunday 8th September, as over 4,000 people made the most of the first public opportunity to visit the Josh’s House project to see firsthand what environmental scientist and ABC TV gardening celebrity Josh Byrne and his collaborators have created.

With event staff, the City of Fremantle and Phase 3 Landscape Construction working at a frantic pace to get the venue ready, 20 lucky people got an early morning VIP Josh Byrne tour of the house and gardens, followed by a chef-cooked breakfast on Josh’s back veranda, courtesy of a recent competition run by the Water Corporation. 

With the street in lock down the smell of sizzling gourmet hotdogs, wood fired pizzas and freshly ground coffee permeated a hive of activity as industry partners shared information ranging from gabion walls to energy efficient window furnishings.

Queues started early, at one point trailing off around the corner of the street, proving that sustainable living is high on the agenda for many people in the community. The kids loved the chooks, natural sandpit and salvaged log play space. The older generation admired the practicality of the home’s universal access features, whilst builder Highbury Homes were busy talking to people of all ages about the possibility of building their very own sustainable home. Design partner and solar passive expert Griff Morris and his team from Solar Dwellings were also on hand explaining the benefits of energy efficient housing.

Out front Josh was in his element, filming episode 11 for the Josh’s House series, signing books for eager fans and fielding questions from the public about the future of the Josh’s House project.

If you want to see what Josh’s House is all about, check out www.joshshouse.com.au