Good design works for the planet and for people of every age and ability. This year’s Open House program shows what that looks like in our region.
Sustainability and inclusion are often discussed separately. One is about energy, water and materials; the other about access, wellbeing and belonging. The theme of Sunshine Coast Open House 2026, Sustainable Inclusive Design, brings them together around a simple idea: a place is only truly well designed if it serves the environment and everyone who uses it, for as long as possible.
On the Sunshine Coast, that idea has deep roots. The region’s architects have long designed for the subtropical climate, using breezes, shade and orientation rather than machines to keep buildings comfortable. What is changing is the scope of the question. Today, designers are also asking who a building welcomes, how it adapts as people’s needs change, and what it gives back to its landscape and community.
Designing for every stage of life
Inclusive design starts with the understanding that people’s needs change over time. At Bombala in Minyama, Sealand Architects designed a home for a retired couple to stay in as their mobility changes, with an entirely step-free ground level that includes a second main bedroom, and an upper-level suite that can accommodate a carer or relative in future.
At Moon Mountain Sanctuary in Eumundi, the owners planned their home to support ageing in place, with accessibility, lighting suited to ageing eyes, energy efficiency and passive design all considered from the start. Builders such as LJM Tiny Homes are also designing compact homes for retirees looking to downsize and clients seeking accessible living.
Places where everyone can take part
Public spaces show inclusive design at its most visible. The Hinterland Adventure Playground in Cooroy, designed by Robinson Architects with Urbis for Noosa Shire Council, is an all-abilities, nature-based playground with an inclusive double flying fox, quiet low-activity spaces alongside active adventure areas, and shaded picnic areas for families to gather. It was named the 2026 Sunshine Coast Regional Project of the Year.
At Sanctuary Church in Mons, Elevation Architecture turned a steep site into an accessible community destination, with step-free entry, electric buggy shelters for peak times, and a café opening onto a children’s play area.
Building lightly
Many of this year’s homes show how much can be achieved with less. Andy’s House at Mount Coolum uses a thick rammed earth wall for thermal mass, floor-to-ceiling louvres for cross-ventilation, rainwater harvesting and onsite wastewater treatment to reduce its footprint and running costs. Cooroy House is a modest off-grid home raised above the ground to protect its site, while Kite House in Doonan follows a single contour line to keep clearing of the bush block to a minimum.
Sustainability can also mean supporting the ecosystem around a building. At Tallowwood Place in Black Mountain, Matthew Noffke Architects designed a new pavilion to support the vines that host the larvae of the endangered Richmond Birdwing butterfly, so that over time the building becomes part of the forest.
At a larger scale, the University of the Sunshine Coast, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, became the first university in Australia to install a solar-powered water battery to cool its campus, saving more than 4,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in its first year.
Built by and for community
Perhaps the clearest example of the theme is the Permaculture Noosa Community Pavilion in Cooroy. Designed collaboratively with Ecolibrium and completed in stages to 2023, it was partly built by the community itself, with volunteers learning traditional cob-building techniques to construct its walls. Today it hosts workshops, shared meals, harvest swaps and gardening activities for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
See it for yourself
Many of these places are open during the Buildings and Gardens Weekend on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October. Browse the program and book your tours at sunshinecoastopenhouse.com.au.
