About Keep Fix Upgrade
Keep Fix Upgrade helps people in NSW work out what to keep, fix or upgrade first in the home they already live in. We are Shea and Dave Cullen from Good Architect, and the idea began with a university challenge on the circular economy.
Where the idea began
Keep Fix Upgrade began as our entry in the 2026 Circular Economy Grand Challenge, run by the University of Newcastle's Integrated Innovation Network (I2N). The challenge asks people from different backgrounds to combine their skills to solve practical sustainability problems.
Our problem was the houses people already live in. Many have no insulation and single glazing in aluminium frames, and keeping those homes and making them better is a far better use of resources than knocking them down.
During the challenge we had 25 in depth conversations with people who had upgraded their homes. They told us the hard parts were knowing what to choose, finding a tradie they could trust and comparing quotes. That shaped what we built: type in your address and see what to keep, fix or upgrade first, with rough costs. We also have a CSIRO advisor on board.
We were one of ten finalists, and on 4 November 2026 Keep Fix Upgrade was awarded one of three $10,000 grants. You can read about it in the University of Newcastle's story on this year's winners. The grant goes towards testing the tool with real households.
What the judges said
Three judges reviewed our pitch video and one page summary in the final round. This is their written feedback, in their own words.
The idea was clear and customer discovery had been started, with over 25 interviews completed. The two founders have expert knowledge in the field and are developing a two-sided marketplace, with an MVP in progress. The team have a CSIRO technical advisor, which adds status to the idea. The plan for how the funds would be spent is clear, and I feel that even if the customer discovery means this idea does not succeed, the team have the ability to pivot as needed to develop a solution.
I liked how the producer created a human element, over text, to explain their scope and that they interviewed 25 people. I would consider getting some data around comparisons of insulation, or what Good Architect could help with, including life cycle analysis of electricity usage reduction or other savings such as waste tip fees and possible value in second-use products being sold on. I liked their document proposal as well: good pricing allocation, good data and information on why they are building widgets into their service, such as good trades and vetting circular products.
A lovely solution which has thought about the multiple dimensions of the problem and different stakeholder needs to bring it all together into one solution. Already piloted some data to demonstrate the idea is viable technically and have strong and relevant partnerships. Liveability and sustainability of Australian housing stock is very low, and retrofit of existing buildings means we leave resources in place and improve rather than rebuild.
Good Architect: architecture for everyone
Good Architect is our architecture practice on the NSW Central Coast, on Darkinung country. Our aim is architecture for everyone, and our mission is to build things to last. We work on additions, renovations, new homes, granny flats and larger buildings.
Shea Cullen is a registered architect in NSW (No. 9748). Dave Cullen looks after quality, with a background in project management and quality auditing.
Most households will never hire an architect to choose a hot water system or fix a draughty window, but those choices still decide how comfortable a home is and what it costs to run. Keep Fix Upgrade is how we put that advice within reach of anyone in NSW, for free. If you are planning a bigger renovation, Good Architect offers a free 15 minute call.
The other winners
Five other teams won awards this year. Their projects are described in the University of Newcastle's news story.
