DO YOU WANT TO turn your backyard into a productive food source but don’t know where to start? Would you like to turn your entire property into a more sustainable place to live and work towards self-sufficiency? Are you planning your new home and want to know if the design will work. Would you like to improve your existing house to work better for you and be more comfortable to live in? Would you like to reduce your energy and water bills and further reduce your living expenses but not sure what initiatives are most effective and appropriate for you?
I (Roman Spur) practise a holistic approach to sustainable living. My 15 years of intensive study were rewarded with a diploma in engineering (sustainable building design) and a doctorate in environmental science. I have been consulting and practising sustainable design of buildings and communities designing environmentally friendly buildings and passive houses in Australia and around the world for 20 years. For most of my life, I have been gardening and living a sustainable lifestyle.
I have been rewarded with multiple sustainable and gardening awards: C.A.N Award 2015 Environment & Sustainability, Winner of 2021, 2020 & 2019 Regional garden competition: Best Edible Garden & Best Water Wise Garden
You could see me on TV: ABC Gardening Australia, Bris 31 Blooming in Brisbane, Channel 9 – BrainBuzz, Channel Ten – Totally Wild.
Areas of experience: Existing building/property improvements, Self-sufficiency skills, Permaculture design, Establishing vegetable gardens/landscaping, Entire property setup, Harvesting/saving water, Solar electricity/hot water, Handy skills, Building site experience, Sustainable building design, Engineering mind, Review of an architectural design, Daylight, Thermal comfort.
I offer my expertise knowledge, independent advise, multiple fields experience & innovative ideas.
I provide tailored designs and consultations for individuals and companies.
Garden consultation & design
(approx. 5hr of an intensive consultation & design)
Assessing an existing garden and solar access, discussing what fruit and vegetables you like to grow and eat, what is the potential amount of food you can produce in your garden with the estimated time involved. You will end up on the day with a hand-drawn sketch showing proposed garden design and layout, listing what and where to plant, water harvesting strategies and priorities of evolving working stages.

Self-sufficient design & consultation on an entire property
(approx. 7hr of a professional consultation & assessment & design)
Exploring opportunities and providing solutions for working towards a more sustainable and self-sufficient life. Assessing your property according to permaculture principles. Designing your edible garden ( as per a garden consultation & design above). Suggesting practical and inexpensive improvements and ideas for your household energy and water usage, utilizing rain water as well as grey/black and run-off water, waste reduction, material uses and organic food growing. Independent advise on solar photovoltaic & hot water systems. Brainstorming “problem-solution” discussions to resolve specific challenges. You will be provided with a hand sketched design of your entire property with suggested layout, plenty of notes and hand sketches, and list of actions to take (cost savings, payback period, priorities).

Architectural design review & existing house consultation
Whether you have a new architectural design or renovating existing house there is always scope for improvements from sustainability perspective. It’s always a good idea to get a second pair of eyes to look at design intentions especially from sustainability perspective. You will get notes, hand sketches and list of suggestions and potential improvements for the designed/ an existing house or entire property. Lets get it right from the beginning. Areas of my expertise: engineering mindset, sustainable design of houses, commercial buildings and communities, building materials, energy efficiency, building services (plumbing, air-conditioning etc) natural ventilation, daylight, shading and thermal comfort.
For existing buildings/ renovations: Reviewing your utility bills and assessing ways of reducing your electricity, gas, and water consumption. Providing independent advice about solar hot water and solar electricity systems. Discussing “healthy home” aspects and answering your questions about a chemical-free household, electromagnetic radiation and using ecological materials. On the day, delivering a list of actions with their application priorities, estimated operational cost savings and expected payback period.

Establishing food gardens
Building wicking (self-watering) garden beds based on a conceptual design and your selection of materials. Filling built garden beds with organic soil and planting with seeds & seedlings. You will be harvesting and enjoying taste of nutrition rich fruits and vegetables in a few weeks.

Have your say
Thanks Roman for the fantastic consultation. It was great to see the potential of our garden through your experienced eyes. We’re even more inspired now than after your great lecture at the library, if that is possible. The plan you made for us, of our front and back areas, is pure gold. We’re really looking forward to seeing how it transforms, now that we know what to do. Ralf and Erin
Recently, I had a Garden Consultation with Roman Spur. What a fantastic experience! I learned how to improve the sustainability in my garden as well as receive a plan of action to get the work done. I have been very motivated since the consult, and have even learned how to make vegetable garden wicking beds. Roman’s enthusiasm for gardening is infectious, and I hope others will take the opportunity for a workshop or Garden Consultation. Carrie DeBeyer
The best thing we did for our renovation was to have Roman assist us in the design and then follow up with an environmental assessment of the entire property, which was surprisingly affordable and will save us time and money in the future. Hayden Mokaraka
Roman visited my house and gardens one afternoon, and gave me some fantastic tips and advice on how to convert my ordinary suburban house into a self sustainable home. There were tips on solar, water, where to plant, what to plant, worm farm, composting, chicken hoop, veggie and herbs location, and so much more. I would highly recommend Roman to anyone wishing to live sustainably whilst remaining within their own home. Angela
We have been to Roman’s workshops and also have had a consultation with Roman for a renovation we are undertaking and have found his ideas for sustainability and garden ideas extremely helpful. Roman’s enthusiasm,ideas and professionalism have been really helpful. We are now waiting for our garden to grow so we can reap the rewards we have put into place. Helen, Lawson & Jane
Recently Roman did an environmental assessment of my new property. He was here for over 5 hours and informed me in so many important matters such as what type of solar electricity system I would require and why, how to install rain water tanks and where to install them, sustainable methods of keeping my house cooler in summer without installing air conditioners, and lots more. He wrote out a plan of action with an excellent diagram which is a constant reminder of the many practical and inexpensive ideas he gave me during the consultation. He is knowledgeable experienced easy to talk to and very helpful. Veronika Jones
Just a quick note to thank you very much for the awesome job you did designing and building my 2 raised self-watering garden beds and help with the planting. I was surprised and pleased at how quickly it all came together. All plants are thriving and the pea seeds which I planted 9 days ago have all germinated and are approximately 3mm high already. Tomato plants are in flower and I have already picked some salad leaves. All this in less than a fortnight. Couldn’t be happier. Myrene Tome
Thanks to the generous help and supervision by Roman Spur, I now have a lovely vegetable garden that will provide my family with fresh food for years to come. Lena Tisdall