Hill End Eco House by Riddel Architecture

All products and materials for the project were sourced ethically and sustainably. The narrowness of the site made some stages of construction more challenging. At the time of approval, the minimum star rating for housing in Queensland was 3.5 stars. The project achieves 6 stars (BERS Pro).

Initiatives:

• breezes from the northeast and southeast will be directed into the house by vegetation and the positioning of openings (both windows and timber louvres)

• gallery acts as a buffer to the west and a cooling breeze funnel for the house

• specialised energy efficient glazing is to be used where heat loss/gain will affect passive thermal performance of the building

• all windows have roof overhangs or awnings

• no air-conditioning — efficient ceiling fans instead

• completely water self-sufficient

The Convertible House by Designology

The house design was required to be environmentally sustainable, durable, semi-prefabricated, low embodied energy, highly secure and storm and fire resistant in rural Victoria.

Initiatives:

• modular design principle provides flexibility and the construction system is simple to erect, extend and dismantle if required with relatively unskilled labour

• ‘meccano’ type assembly process allows for the fast construction of the outer superstructure, meaning the execution of the internal construction and fitout is relatively unaffected by adverse weather conditions

• heat energy entering through windows is absorbed by the thermal mass of the compressed cement sheet floors

• solar conservatory over the stairwell/entry area acts as a heat bank in winter

• PV cells mounted on the curved roof

Beyond Today by ESD

The display home was required to set a benchmark for people within the Beyond development and wider market to strive to achieve within their own homes.

Initiatives:

• 2.8 kW photovoltaic solar energy system

• evacuated tube solar hot water system and hydronic in slab heating

• reverse brick veneer wall form structure providing thermal banks throughout

• R3.2 insulation throughout external stud frames, using R2.5 rated fibre batts and a continuous lining of insulbreak to prevent thermal bridging

• 20,000 litres of rainwater harvesting plumbed throughout house

• Modwood cladding and decking

• cross ventilation to all rooms, vertically stacked where possible

CSR Viridian in the Jade 909 Sustainable Project Home

Jade 909 Sustainable Home is an affordable project house which provides three double bedrooms, an expansive living area and a study/office. The house has a 9 star rating using the BERS house energy rating tool.

Initiatives:

• achieves a 76 per cent reduction in water use and a 119 per cent reduction in energy use compared to a standard WA home

• anticipated to eventually achieve a carbon positive outcome during the life cycle of the home

• photovoltaic solar panels returning energy back into the grid

• could be built for under $220,000

• Viridian ComfortPlus reduces solar heat transmission by up to 41 per cent as well as delivers up to a 39 per cent improvement in insulation over ordinary clear glass

• location of the windows and doors allow for cooling summer breezes to purge the hot air from the home during the cooler periods of the day and at night

• rockwool insulation (R4.0) in the ceiling

Karangi Forest House by Schimminger Architects

The house was designed for a young family of four moving from suburban Melbourne to the forested hinterland of Coffs Harbour. The brief required that the house be as environmentally benign as possible, both in its construction and on-going operation.

Initiatives:

• insulated walls (60 mm polystyrene cladding and R2.5 batt insulation)

• insulated roofs (75 mm anticon blanket under roof sheeting and R3.0 ceiling batts)

• cooled with natural ventilation and ceiling fans

• all waste water is treated on-site in a system utilising natural filtration through reed beds

• recycled timber (floors, shading fins), engineered timber members (exposed LVL framing, HI-beam roof purlins) and limited use of locally-sourced hardwood

• all material from excavations re-used on-site (not taken away). Excess, usable building materials were retained by the owner for future use

Ryan Residence by WD Architects

The home for a young family features modern finishes, a skillion roof, facing view to north east and rammed earth. It has a BCA rating of 9 stars.

Initiatives:

• double glazed skylights with internal blinds in the entry and hallway augment the well considered placement of windows and doors

• Biolytix on-site effluent treatment system

• 100 per cent of roof water is collected in rainwater tanks and used in the house and gardens

• solar hot water with recirculation valve

• all main rooms except for one of the bedrooms have windows on two sides for cross ventilation

• Ritek roofing achieves R3.4

• rammed earth and straw bale walls

Judges special mention

The judges felt that a number of the entries in the Single Dwelling (New) category warranted a special mention. While not achieving high star ratings, they innovatively pushed the boundaries. The projects include:

• Huon Box by Misho + Associates, which demonstrated how delightfully liveable a very small house can be

• Numbugga House by Architect Prineas has a dramatically lower embodied energy by its creative use of reused materials and components in a simple structure

• Butterfly House by Zen Architects uses an innovative approach to adaptable orientation for volume housing