Sustainable homes: build, redesign your home to be efficient as possible

Managing your home’s micro climate, sustainable materials and neutral carbon footprints are no longer ‘fringe’​ but mainstream considerations when building a home.

Not all of us can have a cutting edge eco home, but there are ways we can go about changing the way we live to become more sustainable in our daily lives.

This is how.

EVALUATE & CHANGE
As our home energy bills skyrocket while we stay at home more, it has never been more relevant that the design of our homes should be as sustainable and efficient as possible.

Wouldn’t we all have installed solar panels last year if we had known COVID would impact us so greatly in 2020?

A recent study, the Future of Living Report, by Allianz Australia, found that the need for sustainable living, alongside current economical considerations, will see more smaller homes, shared living spaces and our passion for indoor and native plants will become even more so as people see it as a necessity to regulate home temperatures and provide cleaner air.

Aquas Perma House in inner Sydney won the National Sustainability Award thanks to its socially responsible design by C plus C Architectural Workshop. Picture: Murray Fredericks

The report predicts the traditional family home will change shape, with less made from bricks and concrete with a shift to timber homes, and a merging of indoor and outdoor spaces.

“Taking it back to basics was a clear design message from the report, and one that benefits the environment. It’s not just what we build the house out of, it’s also what we surround the house with,” Allianz sustainability advocate Jamie Durie says.

“Planting dense foliage around the side of the house, such as Australian native plants, not only looks great but can also stop hot weather from infiltrating the house.

“Using locally-sourced timber when building our homes is another way to make better use of the earth’s limited resources and embrace the environment around us. By thinking how local nature, sunlight and ecosystems can enhance the design of our homes, we can feel good about making conscious decisions that benefit our futures.”

The report found managing the home’s micro climate would increase in importance, with sustainable materials and neutral carbon footprints no longer seen as ‘fringe’​ but mainstream considerations when building a home.

Newtown garden designed by Mark Bell from Bell Landscapes. Architecture by C+C Architectural Workshop. Picture: Murray Fredericks

The use of lightweight, prefabricated products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) and ply which bring extra thermal benefits would increase. Alternative materials such as hempcrete is a fire- and termite-resistant biocomposite material made from hemp and lime, that also insulates and soundproofs a home, could also increase in popularity.

“The substantial growth of the Australian population will require vast quantities of construction material,” the report says.

“A shift toward more sustainable standards in the construction industry, with locally sourced timber becoming a building exterior of choice, instead of brick and concrete. Local production removes the need for global importation, which in itself brings about many economic and environmental impacts.”

Building smaller homes will also make it easier to achieve higher energy efficiency standards, but will also reduce the upfront spend on and the ongoing cost of living.

This could be your new home. Picture: the Future of Living Report, by Allianz Australia.

Other reasons for going sustainable can be more personal, such as being health-driven – particularly for those suffering from allergies or respiratory problems. Using low VOC (volatile organic compounds) products, natural finishes and increasing the number of indoor plants, can all help with these issues.

“For Allianz Australia, it’s important for us to have a view on future living trends – especially those that protect our planet – so we can remain a global leader in insurance products that support sustainable living solutions. Solutions that match the desires and needs of Australians,” Rachael Poole, general manager of Home and Lifestyle at Allianz Australia, says.

“We all have a shared responsibility to invest in a sustainable future for our communities and planet. The Future of Living report provides Australians with an understanding of, and inspiration into, how families will be living in their homes in years to come.”

Welcome to the Jungle house designed and owned by architect and builder Clinton Cole from C+C Architectural Workshop. MUST CREDIT: Picture: Murray Frederikcs, cplusc.com.au

BEFORE YOU BUILD

Before you go to the expense of building a home, including a sustainable one, clarify who will live in the home, how long do you plan to live there, how old will the residents be and what needs to be considered as they age?

If this is your forever home, how will it need to adapt over the years and what could be changed down the track to help you as you grow older?

Working this out prior to a build means you can make sensible choices for the long-term – which may be more expensive initially – but more durable material choices can help insulate, protect and be more lasting than inexpensive options.

Future proofing rooms such as bathrooms, with open easily accessible showers, rather than baths, as well as placing kitchen appliances at accessible heights will help older occupants live in their home for longer, and reduce the need for changes later.

Is there a better way to live?

It’s not just what’s on the outside the matters, interiors can sustainable too.

From buying recycled plastic furniture and using stone offcuts for fireplace surrounds to using recycled glass in benchtops, there are many materials that can be repurposed in other ways around the house.

The NSW Houses Award winner Best Sustainable Waratah House by Anthrosite Architects in Waratah, NSW. Picture: Supplied

Vault Interiors principal stylist Justine Wilson says Australian interiors are becoming increasingly sustainable.

“We are seeing the biggest shift to sustainable interior styling in history, and it’s something to get excited about. It’s great to see everyone being so eco-conscious and after all, greener homes and happier homes,” she says.

Justine’s tips for sustainable interiors:

– Watch the packaging. Most furniture will come in recycled boxes for easy disposal or re-use. Bubble wrap is a no-no.

– Recycled glass bottles can be turned into benchtops and windows, including stained glass.

– Use earth materials such as mud render, straw bricks, straw roofs – and dirt floors are an emerging home trend.

– Repurpose building materials such as stone or brick offcuts, to use for footpaths, fireplace surrounds, retaining walls and feature walls.

Small materials such as pebbles and bottle tops are being laid into concrete floors for a point of interest.

– Go op-shopping and dress your home in second hand or preloved wares, such as rattan or cane pieces. Old or vintage furniture can always be re-covered to look new again or painted.

ACT: 11 ways to make your home more sustainable

1. Passive solar design

The seven principles of passive design are orientation, spatial zoning, thermal mass, ventilation, insulation, shading and glazing. With new builds or extensions, get the orientation and layout right and the house will require minimal heating or cooling. Let the sun heat your house in the winter months but also let in the breeze in summer via window size and placement and cross-ventilation.

2. Insulate: walls, ceiling and under floor to aid heating and save on energy costs. Older homes can be draughty and responsible for up to 25 per cent of your heating costs. Seal any leaks, use curtains and blinds, as well as making the most of the sun in winter.

3. Install double-glazed windows, or thermal-backed curtains.

4. Select appliances with high energy-efficiency ratings.

Sustainable homes can save you money well into the future. Picture: C+C Architectural Workshop

5. Choose non-toxic building materials and low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints for fewer chemical emissions.

6. Install a rainwater collection tank.

7. Install solar panels and battery storage.

8. Consider the thermal mass and keeping it stable via cross ventilation, good insulation and breathable materials on walls, ceiling fans and louvre windows.

9. Good design is essential to allow for good airflow, while not having spaces too large that they require a lot of energy to heat and cool. That’s where clever interior design ideas to open up and close off areas can work well.

10. Be energy smart: With lighting, it is important when considering the energy consumption of lighting to look at wattage, not voltage. You can reduce energy use by 50 per cent with smart and more efficient technology.

11. Be water wise: Use three or four WELS star-rated shower heads, toilets and water fixtures, and capture rainwater in tanks.

SEEK ADVICE

When we think of sustainable homes many of us assume it’s just environmentally friendly ways to build a home with green materials such as rammed earth, recycled or reused materials and homes directly towards the northerly aspect for good solar orientation.

That is part of it, but living sustainably is also about the home being more comfortable to live in and cheaper to run in the longer term.

Sustainable House Day, an event of Renew Australia, provides insight programs into building and living sustainably, from retrofitting and renovating to biophilic design, to reducing waster during construction.
It provides expert, independent advice on sustainable solutions for householdswishing to make the move to a more eco lifestyle.

Visit: renew.org.au