Ecovillage #1
By Envirotecture
The first home to be completed at the Narara Ecovillage epitomises the values on which the village is founded. It is a compact, highly efficient, healthy home perfectly tailored to its site and occupants.
The elevated home captures stunning views across the valley making the most of its height while also giving step-free access from the road to the main level of the home. A sheltered deck provides a comfortable sitting space to enjoy the view while also protecting the home from the low morning summer sun
Project Details
Plywood is used extensively throughout the main level of the home. Custom design joinery frames artworks that are significant to the owners as well as creating useful additional storage nooks and concealing the HRV ducting too.
The jaunty angle of the bedroom window allows for a discrete view northwards. Its Corten (rusted steel) cladding contrasts nicely with the linear profile of the cladding
The compact floor plan allowed the home to be delivered cost-effectively by local builder, Living Green Designer Homes (link). While the home was not designed to meet the Passive House standard it is equipped with a Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) system and careful detailing led to a blower door test result of 3.45ACH50 (air changes per hour measured at 50 Pascals of pressure difference). The average new Australian home has a leakage rate of 15.4ACH50 (CSIRO, 2015).
The lightweight construction is a design decision driven by the sloping site. By its nature it lacks thermal mass, this was mitigated by the use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs). Produced from sustainably sourced palm oil, the product looks like oversized bubble wrap. As any material changes ‘phase’ (solid to liquid to gas) it requires a large amount of energy (heat) to transition through (i.e. for water to go from 99ºC to 100ºC). PCMs have phase change temperatures that suit human comfort levels, this allows them to absorb excess energy at ~25ºC rather than have it overheat a home. As the room cools, that energy is re-released allowing the PCM to perform the same task again the next time temperatures peak.
The home has uPVC double glazed windows, high levels of insulation and attained a NatHERS rating of 8.2 stars.
Photography by Kayle Barton
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Ecovillage #1
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About the
Professional
At Envirotecture we design beautiful, sustainable buildings that work for you, your family or your business.
With over 35 years’ experience in sustainable architecture, we can offer you a full range of building design and consulting services to deliver the best possible built outcome for your build.
Facilitate and future-proof your lifestyle with our cost-effective designs that provide stylish design solutions. See our sustainable design portfolio.
We Design for Comfort
Our designs, using state-of-the-art materials and passive design principles, will keep you cool in summer and warm in winter.
We Design for Style
You want you to enjoy spaces that inspire your soul. We will design your building so that it not only works really well, it looks great too!
We Design for Value
We can give you the biggest bang for your buck. Our sustainable designs are an affordable alternative to traditional design and will significantly reduce your long-term operating costs.
We Design for the Environment
When you chose our sustainable architectural solutions your build will have a direct beneficial impact on the environment by helping to:
- protect the ecosystem
- reduce emissions
- improve air and water quality
- conserve water
- reduce waste
- conserve and restore natural resources
We Design for the Future
Our architectural solutions will help create you a responsive, beautiful, energy efficient home that will continue to work for you and your family as your needs changes.
Sustainable design will also optimize the life cycle of your building and increase your property value.
We use the latest technology to ensure clever, creative design solutions that last the distance.
We Design for Business
You want your commercial building to provide environmental, economic and social benefits to your business.
We can design your building to:
- help reduce your operating costs
- improve workplace environment
- optimize the life cycle of your building
- increase your property value
- improve your employee’s attendance and productivity
We Believe in Giving Back
At Envirotecture we always have a pro bono project, or ‘love job’ on the go.
The current Love Job is for the Read Triplets who are wheelchair bound with muscular dystrophy
Previous love jobs include:
- Wakisa Foundation's shelter for homeless pregnant girls in Kampala, Uganda
- the Laotian School project
We Believe in Sustainable Architecture
We have over 35 years’ experience in sustainable design, and our team are all leaders in their fields.
We each bring different skill sets to the business but we all are inspired by sustainable design because we see the difference it makes on so many levels.
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