Maxa Design

Maxa Design Award-winning designers of high-performance homes and certified projects in Australia. Best Sustainable Design - Residential.

Maxa design stunning, stylish buildings that are beautiful to live in, replete with character and personality. Your design brief, budget and lifestyle form the basis of our concepts and we strive to keep your dream alive throughout the design process. Maxa Design are passionate about designing innovative, energy efficient and environmentally sustainable homes. Whether we are enhancing an existing

building or creating a unique response to a blank canvas, we embrace the opportunities you present to us. Maxa Design endeavours to develop lasting relationships with our clients through effective communication and by ensuring that we understand your vision. We believe you should enjoy the journey and adore the creation and by working collaboratively your vision will become a reality. Particular attention is paid to:
• Passive Solar design to naturally warm and cool your home
• Passivehaus design
• Energy saving measures so your house is cheaper to run.
• Water efficiency systems
• Responsible material selection

Recent Awards:
2016 NABD (National Association of Building Designers)
Best Residential Design, New Houses, $300-$500k Construction Cost. BDAV design awards:
Best Residential Design, New Houses, $300-$500k Construction Cost.

2016 Commendation:
BDAV design awards:
Residential Design Alterations & Additions, $200-$500 Construction Cost. Culvert House Trentham.

2015 BDAV design awards:
10 Star Sustainable Design Challenge
Excellence In Use of Steel.

2014 NABD (National Association of Building Designers):
Best Environmentally Sustainable Design.

2014 BDAV design awards:
Best Environmentally Sustainable Design
Residential Alterations and Additions $200-$500k build cost. Commendation:
New House $500k-$1m build cost. Finalist - BDAV 10 star challenge

2013 BDAV Design Awards
Best Residential Design Alterations & Additions up to $200K. Best Environmentally Sustainable Design
Finalists in the 10 Star Challenge

2013 Australian Timber Design Awards
Best Small Budget Renovation

2012 BDAV Design Awards
Finalists in the 10 Star Challenge

2011 BDAV Design Awards
Best Residential Design of a New Home up to $300k
Most innovative use of brick
Finalists in the 10 Star Challenge

Love your location, but need more room, more comfort, and modern upgrades? We added a beautiful new kitchen, as well as ...
13/07/2026

Love your location, but need more room, more comfort, and modern upgrades?

We added a beautiful new kitchen, as well as extra bedrooms, bathrooms, and a sun-drenched deck to this bungalow, all while respecting its character!

It means you get to enjoy a high-performance, ""new"" home while keeping the heritage character and the neighbourhood you already call home.

Take a tour now!
https://www.maxadesign.com.au/gardenvale



Builder:
Engineer: .consulting
Photography:

Most period homes suffer from dark, disconnected rooms that feel cramped and gloomy. In Gardenvale, we solved this by de...
08/07/2026

Most period homes suffer from dark, disconnected rooms that feel cramped and gloomy.

In Gardenvale, we solved this by designing a pitched roof that invites northern winter sun deep into the primary living zones.

This new open-plan extension improves the flow of the home while using passive solar strategies to naturally warm the space. Double glazing ensures the extra light does not lead to heat loss, creating a sanctuary that feels bright, modern, and thermally efficient.

Want to make your heritage home comfortable and bright year round? Connect with us to see what's possible.

https://www.maxadesign.com.au/contact-us

Does passing a blower door test mean your home is a high-performance passive house? No!A blower door test is important, ...
05/07/2026

Does passing a blower door test mean your home is a high-performance passive house? No!

A blower door test is important, but it only measures air leaks; it ignores insulation gaps and thermal bridges.

If something is wrong with your thermal bridges or membranes, it is often too late to fix.
That's why we verify as we build, not just test at the end.

Inspecting every detail before linings go up ensures your home actually performs!

Read more about Passivhaus processes and design here, or call us today:
https://www.maxadesign.com.au/resource

Want to see building science in action? Join us in Rhyll, Phillip Island, on Saturday 18 July for an exclusive look at o...
30/06/2026

Want to see building science in action?

Join us in Rhyll, Phillip Island, on Saturday 18 July for an exclusive look at our latest Passivhaus project under construction!

Get involved in real-world air leakage testing, fault-finding, and thermal envelope assessments alongside our team of experts.

Tickets are free but limited—register on our website now!

https://www.maxadesign.com.au/upcomingevents

From design... to realityThis render shows more than an aesthetic: it’s a study in siting, material intent, and performa...
29/06/2026

From design... to reality

This render shows more than an aesthetic: it’s a study in siting, material intent, and performance working as one.

See how form follows landscape, how rooflines and orientation capture light and views, finishes sit quietly in their setting, and details resolve structure, weather, and thermal performance.

What begins as a model becomes a built home that looks right, performs reliably, and feels like it belongs.

Imagine your project moving from concept to crafted reality. Want to start the journey?

Clean lines and simple forms give a contemporary calm that still feels utterly rural. Non‑reflective cladding and earthy...
23/06/2026

Clean lines and simple forms give a contemporary calm that still feels utterly rural. Non‑reflective cladding and earthy tones let the building blend with trunks, dappled light and moving shadows — the house reads as part of the landscape, not a stage set. It’s honest, durable and quietly refined: familiar materials used with restraint to create a home that feels timeless and of place.

Rural character, contemporary poise.

Contact us to discuss your contemporary high performance home.

https://www.maxadesign.com.au/contact-us

Set in a 40,000 m² foothill clearing of the Dandenong Ranges, this home was shaped around the land from day one.We used ...
19/06/2026

Set in a 40,000 m² foothill clearing of the Dandenong Ranges, this home was shaped around the land from day one.

We used careful siting to avoid tree removal, floor levels that cut minimal earthworks, and materials chosen to age quietly in the landscape. Faced with steep terrain, Green Wedge controls and overlays for bushfire, erosion and flooding, we spent extra time early in the design process refining position, form and services, so the house would respond to constraints rather than fight them.

A home designed to protect nature and wildlife while making everyday life a joy. Interested in a site‑sensitive approach for your project? Let's chat!

https://www.maxadesign.com.au/contact-us

Europe’s prefab scene showed us a smarter way to build — and Australia stands to gain. Think: Factory‑perfect quality an...
14/06/2026

Europe’s prefab scene showed us a smarter way to build — and Australia stands to gain.

Think: Factory‑perfect quality and airtight performance, delivered faster and with far less waste; timber‑led systems that cut embodied carbon; and offsite QA that makes Passive/low‑energy standards achievable and affordable. For Australian sites that face bushfire risk, steep terrain or supply constraints, prefab offers predictable outcomes, safer detailing and less on‑site disruption.

What we love most: The ability to customise high‑end finishes and passive performance without the usual cost or timeline penalties.

What do you think?

Prefab homes are not what you think. Far from cookie‑cutter boxes, today’s prefab is a design-first, performance-driven ...
10/06/2026

Prefab homes are not what you think. Far from cookie‑cutter boxes, today’s prefab is a design-first, performance-driven route to luxury that’s greener, faster, and smarter.

Bespoke layouts and premium finishes without the elevated price.
Factory precision = airtightness, consistent insulation, and fewer surprises.
Passive‑ready with triple glazing, MVHR, solar + battery options.
Lower embodied carbon, faster build, less waste.

Think of prefab as an expedited path to high‑performance, low‑maintenance luxury where craft, science, and smart production meet.

These homes are taking off in Europe, and we're excited to bring some of these ideas back to Australia!

Enjoying sweeping views shouldn't mean dealing with winter cold or summer heat!Choose glazing with a low U‑value and hig...
06/06/2026

Enjoying sweeping views shouldn't mean dealing with winter cold or summer heat!

Choose glazing with a low U‑value and higher SHGC for winter warmth, then tame summer heat with deep eaves, external shading or dynamic coatings.

Pair triple‑glazed IGUs with thermally broken frames and airtight detailing + MVHR for year‑round comfort and clean air. Structural mullions and laminated glass keep big spans safe and serene.

Take a look at this elegant rural home in Selby and see how great design creates a great home!

https://www.maxadesign.com.au/selby/

Builder:
Engineer: .consulting
Windows: .weather.windows
Geotechnical Engineer:
Thermal Performance Assessor: .energy
Photography: Neylon

Address

Blackburn, VIC

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

03 9013 0449 for both Melbourne and Brisbane

Website

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