Warrnambool Community Garden's Geoff Rollinson and Jamie Haydne stoke the fire in a pizza oven, in front of the HUB sustainable house.
SUSTAINABLE House Day urged hundreds of south-west residents to adopt greener lifestyles with a series of activities yesterday.
Energy-efficient homes in Cudgee, Merrivale and Warrnambool were opened to the public for the annual event, while the city's community garden launched its Healthy Urban Building (HUB) project.
Garden convener Geoff Rollinson said the day had been a huge success, with the sunshine coaxing people outside.
The HUB project was born from Sustainability Victoria funding to retrofit a building that could act as an eco-friendly design example for the community.
Mr Rollinson said the building, a portable classroom which he described as "arguably one of the least sustainable" structures, had been converted into a low-energy multi-purpose space.
Its passive-ventilation layout comes complete with solar panels, low-toxin paint, insulation made from recycled plastic bottles and a worm farm toilet.
The Green Guide, a pocket-size booklet with tips on environmentally friendly products, services and organisations in south-west Victoria, was also officially launched yesterday.
"Some people are reluctant to get onto sustainable housing," Mr Rollinson said.
"Sometimes they simply don't know how to take the first step. The Green Guide is a tangible point they can go to for ideas and suggestions."
Craft, produce and food stalls operated throughout the day while Basalt To Bay Landcare hosted a plant propagation workshop in conjunction with the Society for Growing Australian Plants.
The public is welcome at the Warrnambool Community Garden on Tuesdays as part of the city council's Eat Well Be Active program. There is a waiting list for garden plots but people can get involved with site development in a range of ways including finance, leadership and marketing,
bziegeler@standard.fairfax.com.au
