Ahara House wins sustainability award

Here at Lou Projects we specialise in building energy efficient, sustainable, functional and comfortable homes. We’d like to thank the Master Builders Association for recognising this, and awarding us the winner of the ‘Energy Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability’ category in the 2023 Newcastle Excellence in Building Awards.

The award winning project was Ahara House. The main intention for Ahara House was a high quality, high performing home, that’s super cosy and comfortable. Rather than going for an over the top and extravagant design, we were aiming for a more humble cottage look and feel. The desired outcome was high performance meets cottage elegance, which means it’s healthy, comfortable and humble in its appearance.

Ahara House is the result of another successful collaboration between Lou Projects and Luke Farrugia Architect, with the interior design guided by Pair Studio. The collaboration among architect, builder, and designer resulted in a cohesive design that considers everything from the positioning of walls and windows to the choice of fixtures and fittings.

We’re proud to say Ahara House is a mould free home. This is because it’s been built to a much higher standard than your typical home, starting with proper ventilation cavities, breathable wraps and waterproof membranes. All of this creates a completely weatherproof and airtight building envelope that works to keep outside elements, such as moisture and humidity, from entering and creating a breeding ground for mould as well as causing major structural damage.

Since Lou Projects began in 2018, we’ve had one major goal – to build better homes. We do this with a clear focus on energy efficient, comfortable and innovative designs. Our vision is to inspire a new generation of builders to exceed current standards and build healthier homes for our clients. We continue to immerse ourselves in readings, courses and webinars to soak up as much knowledge as possible. We do this so we can build high-end, energy efficient homes that are comfortable, enjoyable places to live, that can and will save money, water and energy.

Our team is full of young, energetic and passionate people. We’re driven by the culture within our team and place a huge focus on continual education and improvement, whether that be building practices, community, environment and/or mental health. It’s important to us that we all work well together, enjoy each other’s company, and also empower and support each other.

So what’s next for us? We’re currently working on designing a range of homes ready for clients that are looking to save time, money and the hassle of venturing down a complete custom build. This will ultimately allow more people to access more energy efficient homes for a competitive and affordable price. So stay tuned for that!