Having moved from Woodend to be closer to friends and essential services, the couple bought a block of land at Longlea and set about bringing their vision to life.

They met with architect Joost van Bree of Bendigo based Bree Architects as well as a builder where the plan for a Passiv Haus took shape.

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Passiv Hauses (or houses) are well sealed and have high insulation values, but Jo and Doug wanted their own Aussie take on the European design.

"Passiv Hauses tend to be square boxes with tiny windows to minimise heat transfer," Jo said.

"But we like large windows to look out on the wildlife."

Settling on a design, building started on the site in November 2019 and took 13 months to complete.

Construction continued through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with the triple glazed windows holding up proceedings.

"The windows were built in Poland," Jo said.

"We looked locally but they were going to be more expensive to buy them here than having them built and shipped out from Poland.

"It was a bit annoying because we do try to buy Australian. It added three months to the build. Building stopped in April and the windows didn't arrive until July."

Jo and Doug's three-bedroom home is made from standing seam metal with some timber elements.

"There is an internal wrap on the walls before the plaster went on to make it completely sealed air tight," Jo said.

A heat recovery ventilation (HRV) system has been installed and four times a day it transfers all the cubic metre air in the house outside and replaces it with clean air.

The warm air going out mixes with the cool air coming in, limiting the need for a heater.

Passiv Haus does not allow windows to open to ventilate but Jo and Doug put flywire screens on their windows to allow cross-ventilation if need be.

There are solar panels on the shed storing power to a solar battery.

Jo and Doug have even managed to put in a water treatment system which they tried unsuccessfully to have at their Woodend house.

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"The council said if we had a water treatment system we had to have a septic system as well," Jo said.

"That was 30 years ago so times have changed."

Jo said she and her husband have always tried to be environmentally conscious.

"Because of climate change, we want to do our bit for Australia and the world," Jo said.

"Plus we've retired so we want to save on power and things."

Their completed house has also been given the official seal of approval, earning a Passiv Haus Plus rating.

Jo and Doug have been living in the house since the week before Christmas 2020 and are ecstatic with the finished product.

"It's wonderful. We love it," Jo said.

"It looks amazing, it's easy to live in and easy to clean.

"We don't have to have the heater on very much because when the house reaches a comfortable level it stays at that temperature.

"I know we didn't have a hot summer last year but it stayed between 18 to 25 degrees inside even after three or four days in the mid 30s.

"And it also has a lot of (natural) light coming in so you don't need to turn on lights as early as you would which is another good feature."

Jo and Doug will be part of this year's Bendigo Sustainable House Day event on Sunday, October 24.

The online event will feature photos, videos and q&a sessions with home owners offering advice about sustainable houses and gardens.

It is only $10 to attend the whole day. Tickets at bsg.org.au or go to https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sustainable-house-day-2021-bendigo-tickets-161721957729.

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