Surreal Estate

The Australian bushfires in the summer of 2019-2020 were devastating, not only taking hundreds of lives, but also destroying over 70,000 acres of land and over 3,000 homes. To address this, Surreal Estate created a bushfire resilient home that was affordable for first home buyers. Various bushfire resilience measures were featured in our design, including external sprinkler systems, large casement windows for escape and non-combustible, fire-resistant construction materials. To make this house not only bushfire resilient but also net-zero energy and affordable, we implemented passive energy reduction strategies, such as centralising utilities, throughout our design. Furthermore, we minimized our environmental footprint by sourcing local and sustainable fire-resistant materials, such as Spotted Gum timber for external cladding, and high-performance mineral wool for insulation.