Laura Ryan builds self-sustainable home in Newtown as part of ImPossible House project

Laura Ryan is changing the notion of what it means to be off the grid with her ImPossible House project, in which she built a self-sustainable home nestled in the heart of Newtown. Here’s how she did it.

Inside the ImPossible House project.

When someone says they’re going “off the grid”, most people would think of being isolated in the middle of nowhere and cut off from society.

However, a Sydney woman with a PhD in statistics and a master’s in quantitative finance has flipped that script.

Laura Ryan is changing the notion of what it means to be off the grid with her ImPossible House project, in which she took a run-down, heritage-listed cottage, nestled in the heart of Newtown, and transformed it into a picturesque, fully sustainable off-grid home.

Built with a custom off-grid water system, an incinerating toilet that eliminates sewage, a rooftop solar system with battery storage in a fire-resistant bunker, and locally sourced interior materials, Dr Ryan hasn’t created some “hippy log cabin”.

Instead, she believes her place represents the future of sustainable inner-city living.

Dr Ryan’s passion for the environment started as a child and evolved into the ImPossible House project as she began to “worry more and more” about climate change.

“I started this journey in 2016 to help show what’s possible in sustainable living,” she said.

The project began in 2016 and took eight years.

The backyard of the ImPossible House.

“There was no kind of Big Bang moment though.

“I’ve just always worried about the environment and I think sometimes you feel a little helpless.

“So I thought If I can take control of my situation, at least I won’t feel helpless.”

Laura Ryan has a PhD in statistics and also a master’s in quantitative finance.

Creating a sustainable home isn’t just about installing solar panels or saving water according to Dr Ryan, who said she “really tried to push the limits of sustainability with my home”.

Some of the key features when it came to designing the house were energy and solar, water, sewage and waste, as well as interior and exterior design, all installed with a touch of “inner-city cool”.

“Every decision we make can have a positive impact, from choosing more sustainable building materials, to embracing natural light, using recycled products, and choosing more sustainable paints the possibilities for making our homes more sustainable are endless,” Dr Ryan said.

“I also want to show that a sustainable home can be modern and stylish.”

Laura Ryan, who headed up the project.

However, one of the biggest challenges she faced during the project wasn't an environmental one.

“A major hurdle for going completely off-grid has been local council heritage restrictions, meaning I have been unable to place solar panels on my street-facing roof,” she said.

“If we are to create more sustainable homes, this needs to change.

“We need smarter and more flexible policies that support, not hinder, the transition to more sustainable homes.”

Dr Ryan hopes the success of imPossible can inspire others.

“I hope the ImPossible House inspires others to take steps, big or small, towards creating more sustainable homes, wherever they live,” she said.

“All Australians can live more sustainably, but we need to make it easier and more affordable for people to make sustainable choices when building or renovating.”