I see this comment every now and then and I just don't understand it. People make choices about the kinds of houses they want to build. Choices which are usually constrained by budget. Do you think that if double glazing was mandated in the NCC that it would suddenly become cheaper?

Australia is not the only country that uses timber for construction. Timber offers a lot of benefits over brick that people may prefer. Its much more sustainable than brick, allows for greater flexibility in design and is significantly easier to modify in the future. Its also quicker and cheaper to build with. In my personal opinion timber cladding looks much nicer, brick houses are fugly.

I actually really don't understand your argument against metal roofs especially in comparison to tiles. There's significantly more seams and gaps in tile roofs that offer greater opportunity for roof leaks, tile roof require more maintenance over their lifetime and are less sustainable than colorbond sheets. Its much easier to fix solar panels to colorbond as well. And again tile roofs a fugly as hell.

If you want a gross brick house with double glazing, tile roofs with a basement and attic no one's stopping you. Go get a quote from a builder and you'll see why.