A group of architects and an artist have come up with what they believe could be a solution to Sydney's housing affordability woes, transforming one so-called McMansion home into two zero emissions green homes.

Called The Reincarnated McMansion Project, the idea comes from artist Mathieu Gallois and architects Jan O’Connor, Tone Wheeler and Peter Smith. They propose to re-use the remains of the demolished mansion in the reconstruction of the new homes. Tone Wheeler, a green architect known for being an ABC New Inventors judge and the architect for the Big Brother green house, says the approach will result in huge savings in material costs and reduce the carbon footprint of the new homes by an estimated 85 percent.

Sponsored by Arup, Australia Council for the Arts, Smith & Tzannes, Environa Studio and Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, the Reincarnated McMansion Project is 50 percent funded. It is now seeking further investors to purchase one of the new zero emission green homes for as little as $450,000. These investors will determine the suburb and site of the project.

Forty suburbs across Sydney have been identified as both economically feasible and permissible within council regulations, including Marrickville, Ashfield, Paramatta, Liverpool, Canada Bay, Botany Bay, Campbelltown, Penrith, Fairfield, Hawksbury and Hurstville.