Michael Young has been designing and constructing beautiful and elegant homes for twenty-five years.

Michael is a registered builder whose early inspiration was derived from working with the late Alistair Knox and the renowned landscape designer Robert Boyle. His siting and seamless integration of house and landscape is a defining feature of his work.

Specialising in the use of traditional ‘puddle made’ mud bricks, renewable plantation timbers and select recycled materials, Michael Young’s homes are energy efficient and ecologically sound from ground up. His business has been founded on quality one on one service: good advice and a painless and productive process that delivers what is for most people their biggest investment, on time and on budget.

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A Brief History:

ELTHAM - I was born in the Diamond Valley/Eltham area, and have lived here all my life. Since I was a young lad, my father stimulated a great interest in building, gardening and other skills associated with this creative region. He hand-built the family home in Greensborough 60 years ago and has been renovating and improving it ever since.

KNOX - The Eltham area is known nationally and internationally as the heartland of mud brick building. My first foray into the industry was with mentor and industry leader the late and great Alistair Knox, who pioneered mudbrick building in and around Eltham back in the 40s and 50s. The enthusiasm he expressed for such a simple and accessible form of building was seductive: the thought of being able to dig out a flat area of ground for a house, mix the surplice dirt with water and straw, mould and lay the bricks out in the sun to dry was interesting enough; to then incorporate the dried bricks into beautiful walls of a timeless and environmentally flawless home was intoxicating.

My passion for building contemporary and traditional homes, with a specialist capacity for mud brick, has not waned in my 30 years of involvement.

BUSHFIRES - As a 23 year old I was living with wife and child in my first mudbrick home, which I designed and built in Kinglake. It is interesting to note that in the recent disastrous fires of February 7, 2009-11, that home was destroyed although the mudbrick walls remained standing. The Building Commission in Victoria has rated mudbrick as being a stand-alone product, able to withstand a four-hour fire front. I think this aspect alone will engender a lot more earth building in these bushy areas.

5 STAR - In recent years mud brick has been challenged by the ever- increasing bureaucratic nature of permit processes. Several years ago, an energy rating requirement for all domestic buildings was introduced. It is scientifically accepted that mudbrick homes have a much more constant temperature variation than conventional Australian buildings. They remain cooler in summer and warmer in winter and, with proper assumptions and settings built into a well constructed thermal rating system, mudbrick will always outperform other modes of building.

MUDBRICK ASSOCIATION - The challenge that confronted mud brick builders was to get involved in the design and settings of the rating systems at a grass roots level. I took up this challenge and formed the Nillumbik Mudbrick Association in 2004: I put together a committee, signed up the first 70 or 80 members and took our issues up with the State Government and associated departments. We are now the largest earth building association in Australia, with a membership nearing 300 - a volunteer group that is well sponsored and is professionally recognized within the local and broader community, and all levels of government.

CONTACT ME - Mudbrick homes date back 10,000 years, and two thirds of the world’s population currently lives in earth dwellings. I myself live in a mud brick home, and love all aspects of it. I have built for myself and others many different types of houses over the years and can offer a service tailored to your individual requirements. I hope you find this simple website of interest, and if you would like to discuss anything further, please don’t hesitate to make contact with me.