Maxa Design

Are you designing your home for extremes or averages?

Extreme heat already shapes our Australian towns and cities. Yet many new homes still rely on minimum compliance based on outdated climate data. This short-term thinking ignores significant long-term risks.

Fixing fundamental design flaws after construction is difficult and incredibly expensive.

Designing for climate resilience requires a different approach. We focus on strong passive solar design and Passive House principles. These high-performance methods significantly reduce energy costs and heat-related health risks while improving year-round comfort and indoor air quality.

See the exceptional homes we've designed, and contact Maxa Design to plan your climate-ready custom home.
https://www.maxadesign.com.au/projects/

Love what we do? Cast your vote!

We're incredibly proud to have two of our projects nominated for a Design Matters National Building Design Award 2026 in the People's Choice Award (EC) category.

Show your support and vote for us.

Continuum House - Alterations & Additions ($500k-$1m) category - https://designmattersnational.awardsplatform.com/entry/vote/LQDXkkYa/pyeDvRmB?search=72aac6b2d2603f70-14

Selby Sanctury - New House ($500k - $1m) category - https://designmattersnational.awardsplatform.com/entry/vote/LQDXkkYa/KPrRQEoR?search=72aac6b2d2603f70-35

Listen to our founder on The Passive House Podcast!

Sven Maxa recently joined the Passive House Podcast to discuss the future of Australian housing. With over two decades of experience in energy-efficient residential design, Sven shares how healthy and low-energy homes can also be stunningly beautiful.

He breaks down his key takeaways from the recent THRIVE Passive House Conference in Melbourne. The momentum for sustainable building in Australia is growing faster than ever.

Listen to the full episode now to hear Sven's insights!
https://l1nk.dev/wtjuzzb

What does a Passivhaus look like? It looks like whatever you want it to be!

For this certified Passivhaus, we freed up space for expansive garden zones and a massive outdoor entertaining area. Complete with a full outdoor kitchen and a wood-fired pizza oven, this home is built for large family gatherings.

It proves that you can have a 100% airtight, energy-efficient sanctuary that still embraces the great Australian tradition of indoor-outdoor living.

Sustainability never has to limit your lifestyle. Speak to our award-winning team today!

https://www.maxadesign.com.au/working-with-us

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Engineer: .consulting
NATHERS Modelling: .green
Passivhaus Modelling: .green
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Windows: .windows
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You don't need to start from scratch to experience world-class living.

We transformed this single-storey brick home into a high-performance sanctuary using high-performance insulation and sustainable timber accents.

This recycled and eco timber acts as a natural regulator for the "feel" of a room, adding organic texture that softens modern life.

This project shows that with the right materials, your current home can become a healthy, efficient, and beautiful retreat.

Stop settling for a cold or drafty house and start designing for your future!
https://www.maxadesign.com.au/mitcham

What if sustainable housing could become the norm?

That's the idea behind Beyond Zero Haus — and we're incredibly excited that it has just won the Victorian State Award in Design Matters National's True Zero Carbon Challenge. 🏆

But for us, our concept is really about something bigger.

For this competition we didn't want to design a one-off “sustainable house” that looks great on paper but is difficult to replicate.

Together with Metricon, we set out to ask a different question:

Can we create a genuinely comfortable, healthy, high-performance home that can be built at scale?

That meant bringing the precision of Passivhaus together with the realities of volume housing — looking at how a home is designed, built, insulated, ventilated and powered, and how those decisions affect its performance for decades to come.

The goal is a home that is comfortable to live in, healthier inside, dramatically more energy efficient — and ultimately capable of becoming carbon positive.

Because we don't think better housing should be something available only to the few who can afford a completely bespoke architectural home.

The bigger ambition is to make low carbon and better-performing homes part of everyday housing.

We're incredibly proud of the Metricon–Maxa team and excited to see where this idea can go next.

🏆 Victorian State Award — True Zero Carbon Challenge

Design Matters National

TrueZeroCarbonChallenge

What if you could trade a small increase in your build budget for a lifetime of energy independence?

Standard builds often hide future costs: mould remediation, high maintenance, and the health toll of poor air quality.

A Passivhaus investment is concentrated in key upgrades like airtight seals and filtered ventilation that lower your home's lifetime energy costs, protect your structure, and support your family’s wellbeing. You gain an energy-effecient, whisper-quiet sanctuary free from dust and allergens.

When you look at the lower running costs and the sheer quality of life, the extra building and design cost becomes the best investment you’ll ever make!

Read more here:
https://www.maxadesign.com.au/resources-page/2025/9/17/cost-considerations-when-looking-to-build-a-passivhaus-in-australia

Choosing timber for your external cladding is a brilliant way to soften a high-performance home’s profile.

In all our designs, we can use a ventilated facade system, where timber boards sit over a cavity. This allows air to circulate, keeping the structure dry and protecting the weathertight layer from the harsh Australian sun.

At Maxa Design, we use sustainable wood types, reclaimed timber, and recycled wood to support our sustainability principles!

Take a look through our projects to see how versatile and beautiful your home can be:
https://www.maxadesign.com.au/projects

Create a home that captures the imagination....

In this certified Passivhaus in Heathmont, we designed a dramatic saw-toothed roofline that acts as a beacon for natural light. These lofty ceilings create a sense of scale and allow winter sun to pe*****te deep into the home, naturally warming the space.

Combined with high-spec triple-glazed windows and superior insulation, the home maintains a perfect internal climate while offering breathtaking views over the rolling, tree-covered hills. It is a masterclass in how bold, sculptural design can drive world-class energy performance.



Builder: .com.au
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Energy Rating: .energy

In a standard home, opening a window to get fresh air means losing all your expensive heating or cooling.

Zehnder systems utilise advanced heat exchange technology to bridge the gap between fresh air and thermal comfort. As the system extracts stale air, it filters out pollen and pollutants while simultaneously passing through a heat exchanger. Here, it transfers its warmth to the incoming fresh air without the two streams ever mixing.

This allows you to enjoy 100% fresh, filtered air at the perfect temperature you prefer.
It's a masterclass in efficiency, allowing the homes we design to maintain a perfect climate with minimal energy use.

Love this idea for your existing home or building project? Let's chat!
https://www.maxadesign.com.au/contact-us