Sustainable
building design

Building sustainable houses

To us, sustainability is not a buzzword. It’s a way of thinking. And it’s at the heart of everything we do at Sembrano Design.

What does ‘sustainable building design’ mean?

Working with nature, not against it.
Working with what you already have.
Designing for energy efficiency.
Using resources that are built to last.
Incorporating thermal comfort into the areas where you live and work.
Making the most of natural light and air.

In essence, building sustainable houses also means delivering on your goals and your desired outcomes. Sembrano Design is an expert at listening to your brief, getting to the heart of your design challenge, and problem-solving to achieve a beautiful, cost-effective outcome.

Sustainability is built into our processes for building design, and planning and development. Paulo Sembrano is passionate about building structures that is sympathetic to its natural environment – and he has the industry expertise and qualifications to back it up.

We know that building a residential or commercial property is a significant investment. That’s why we design structures that are comfortable, function sustainably and offer long-term cost-savings for our clients.

We have designed and managed homes with passive cooling and heating in some of Australia’s coldest environments, including with 8-star energy ratings.

Why work with us

Sustainability is at the heart of all we do

Sustainability is not an afterthought for us; it’s part of the building design and drafting process that is considered and incorporated every step of the way.

We believe simple is elegant

Bigger is not always better. Sembrano Designs believes in design that is clever and comfortable. We’re not interested in keeping up with the Joneses. We are driven to deliver on your expectations.

Awards and credentials

Design Director Paulo Sembrano holds a Masters of Sustainable Built Environment from the University of NSW; as a graduate, he was awarded the Margot and Neville Guzman Award in 2012 for Urban Design in Architecture. He is also a Member of the Australian Passive House Association.

Sustainability reports and audits

Sembrano Design offers an end-to-end building design and planning service, with sustainability at front of mind every step of the way. We can work with your team to step in and out as you need us, to provide guidance, reports and analysis, including:

Eco house design
Operation management plans
Passive cooling design
Passive house design
Solar study and analysis
Statement of environmental effects
Sustainability studies
Sustainable building policy development and implementation
Sustainable materials and construction

From our clients

Sembrano Design worked closely with us to bring our vision to life. Professional, thorough and detailed.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to see this dream house being built to life by Sembrano Design. The construction guidelines were prepared very well; our expectations were fully understood from day one.

Initiative, leadership and guidance during my change of use application, town planning and building design – making the process and transition smooth.

Thank you for your input, ideas and innovation towards making each project you are engaged in a success.

Paulo listened to our ideas then offered suggestions that have absolutely ‘made’ our small space. Highly recommended.

Sustainable building design