A passion for solar passive design, natural materials, recycling, and sustainability has been inherent in Eco Sustainable Homes constructions from the beginning and still continues today.
How we started
In early 1980’s, Tony and Lyn Carter, founders of Eco Sustainable Homes, renovated an old home and then designed and built their own first home from mud brick in Central Victoria. This home featured not only hand-made mud bricks, but also crazy slate flooring, cypress pine ceiling lining and recycled materials (such as windows, structural posts, sinks and taps).
Much of the timber used in construction was milled from dead Ironbark trees found on the land and recycled Ironbark was used to build a staircase. They recycled coloured bottles to make a feature window on the east and manufactured their own kitchen from ironbark timber.
Passion for sustainability
Needless to say, a passion for solar passive design, natural materials, recycling, and sustainability has been inherent in their constructions from this time and still continues today.
In the early 1990’s Tony and Lyn moved on to research Rammed Earth as a medium and travelled to WA, where at the time Rammed Earth had been utilised for many years; In 1990 25% of all new building permits were for Rammed Earth homes in Margaret River.
Rammed Earth Enterprises
Tony became a registered builder in 1992, and began trading as Rammed Earth Enterprises, a small boutique company specialising in Rammed Earth Dwellings.
Being a specialist builder of Rammed Earth dwellings, they were called all over the state and interstate to build in this very distinguishing medium. The furthest builds were in the Northern Territory on an out-back station, with Tony training the Aboriginal station hands in ramming the walls on the construction of a second homestead.
When Tony returned home after this project (just in time for the birth of their second child) he was phoned by the local doctor in Borroloola and asked if he could construct the Rammed Earth walls for his new home on an Aboriginal reserve before his equipment was taken home, the whole family returned for this project when the new baby was only 7 weeks old.
The Uniqueness of Rammed Earth
Because of the distinctive nature of the Rammed Earth medium, the Carters quickly began working with clients to design their own unique homes, as well as building architectural designs that clients bought to them.
With the introduction of the new 5-star energy rating system, and with the business expanded into extensions, renovations and the construction of new homes utilising a variety of mediums, Tony and Lyn decided to introduce a new business name.
Eco Sustainable Homes
In 2006 Eco Sustainable Homes was born, while keeping the trading name of Rammed Earth Enterprises. Commercial projects with Rammed Earth work were undertaken with owner builders and with other registered builders, while Eco Sustainable Homes retained the building and design side of the business.
In 2012 the business was split and Tony and Lyn now trade with Eco Sustainable Homes Pty Ltd as the registered building business and with Rammed Earth Enterprises Pty Ltd. as the subcontracting Rammed Earth wall building business.