Five spectacular homes that prove there's no need to sacrifice aesthetics for the environment

With the winter energy bills rolling in, many home owners will be wondering if there might be a better way to keep their houses warm next winter.

Rammed earth homes are made from a compacted mix of locally available earth materials, including sand, clay and gravel. Though the building method is thousands of years old, it's particularly en vogue this century due to its durability and energy efficiency.

With a high thermal mass, rammed earth retains heat well, and is especially good for passive solar heating, to make the most of winter's rays. And by using already available materials that can be recycled, the construction of rammed earth homes is more sustainable than many other methods.

But the way rammed earth looks is one of its biggest bonuses. If you thought you had to sacrifice aesthetics for the environment, you're wrong - here are five homes to prove it.

1. 79 Berkeley Street Hawthorn, VIC 
   
   

   

   
   Though many people associate rammed earth with regional homes, this house in Melbourne's blue chip eastern suburbs proves that the material can work in urban settings.
   
   Designed in 2000 by Simon Swaney, the rammed earth walls of this home give it an organic sensibility in the middle of stuffy suburbia. The six bedroom, four bathroom home on a 1,284 square metre block includes an executive study, slab heating, a goods lift, a five car basement garage and cellar.
   
   
   
   
2. 155 Evans Track Johanna, VIC
   
   
   
   Spectacular views of Johanna beach are complimented by this single storey home's rammed earth walls.
   
   Designed by Nicholas Burns, the listing information describes this house as an "eco-sanctuary". The four bedroom house's minimalist interiors allow the rammed earth walls to make a quiet statement, but the home still comes with plenty of luxury features - a double sided fireplace, an underground temperate 1,500 bottle wine cellar, a Caesarstone kitchen and an outdoor shower.
   
   The home has been featured in the pages of Architectural and Design Magazine, Monument Magazine, and the Australian Financial Review.
   
   
   
   
3. 11 -19 Lings Wallington, VIC
   
   
   
   Jurra is a four bedroom, three bathroom house set on five acres. Constructed of timber and rammed earth with polished concrete floors and double glazed windows, the home's building materials make good use of its northerly orientation, which helps keep it warm in winter.
   
   With a native garden and pool, the property also includes a vegetable garden, chook pen, shedding, and a 87,000 litre water tank.
   
   
   
   
   
4. "Solterra" Davies Road Merrijig, VIC
   
   
   
   Solterra offers views of Mount Buller and the Delatite River Valley, but is also quite the eyecatcher itself.
   
   The rammed earth home has expansive glass walls and heavy doses of Italian travertine marble and iron bark timbers. The 400 square metre home has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, three living rooms and an art gallery. Outside, there is a white mosaic infinity pool and a iron bark deck, with a landsacped garden. It's on the market with a price guide of $2.49 million.
   
   
   
   
5. 2A Watkins Road Dalkeith, WA
   
   
   
   This Tim Wright-designed home has four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
   
   This rammed earth home among the gum trees is set on a 824 square metre block. Again, the interiors are restrained, with polished concrete ceilings, high ceilings and over-height glass doors allowing the home's materials, natural light and gardens to speak for themselves. The property includes a feature wood fireplace, an internal courtyard and a solar heated pool.