Not Just Another Pretty Roof

Not Just Another Pretty Roof: Part memoir, part practical guide, The Billinudgel Solar House is the story of two designers who set out to build a home that worked with the sun, wind and seasons—and how that decision shaped the way that they lived.

In the early 1980s, Kate St James and Ian Cleland left Sydney for The Pocket near Billinudgel, Northern NSW, to design and build a passive‑solar house from the ground up. The book blends warm, first‑person storytelling with clear, practical insight: why the house faces true north, how deep eaves, cross‑ventilation and thermal mass were used, and which materials, colours and furnishings were chosen to make the home both sustainable and beautiful.

Alongside the narrative, you’ll find easy reference tables (Passive Solar Principles; Materials & Finishes), a Southern‑Hemisphere sun‑angle diagram, construction photos from 1982, and an interiors section that connects palette and texture to the surrounding landscape. “Life in the Solar House” shows the design at work—cool in a humid summer, warm in a damp winter—while “Moving On” and the Epilogue reflect on lessons that carried into every project thereafter.

This is an inspiring, down‑to‑earth book for renovators, owner‑builders, architects, designers and anyone curious about living lightly: design for sustainability and energy efficiency first, then layer in beauty, comfort and style.

Inside you’ll get:

• A real Australian passive‑solar case study (Northern NSW, Southern Hemisphere)
• Practical, actionable principles you can apply to any home
• Materials & finishes with sustainability notes
• Interiors guidance and colour cues from the landscape
• Archival construction photos and a sun‑angle diagram