Samsonvale designed house and winner of the GreenSmart Energy Efficient House of the Year at the Brisbane HIA CSR Awards.

Text Translation

_{Energy conservation is becoming the next priority after water, and the outer-Brisbane home shines a leading light.}

_{Since the water crisis began to bite, an amazing change has taken place. In the space of only a year, south-east Queenslanders have gone from a generally thoughtless band of water-wasters to a community ranked near the top of the world’s most efficient water conservationists. And that’s official, according to recent figures showing a dramatic drop in household use.} 

_{But designer builder Brett McKenzie believes another crisis is just around the corner. This time, power consumption will be the burning issue. As some households struggle with rising costs in the next decade, those in energy efficient homes will reap the benefits of an element that will always come free — sunshine.}

_{Topped with ten solar panels, this home designed by McKenzie at Samsonvale, north of Brisbane, generates two kilovolt of electricity daily, enough to comfortably meet the needs of a family of six. Named GreenSmart Energy Efficient House of the Year at the recent Brisbane HIA CSR Awards, it was recognised for its efficient passive design and innovation in energy saving and management ideas, including an electronic weather-monitoring system.} 

_{Built down a steep slope, the lightweight house sits on high poles that seem to lean into the landscape, while it takes in the views over nearby Mt Samson and Mt Glorious. “What I love about this house is that after a while it becomes invisible to you and you are just living with the view,” says co-owner Jodie Miller. “You’re drawn outside.”}

_{McKenzie, who has been building sustainable housing for more than a decade, says energy-efficient homes could become standard practice if owners (and developers) consider energy issues before they build. Achieving the best passive solar design outcomes begins with the positioning of the structure on the site.} 

_{Designed to make the most of the climate, this house has two pavilions set on different levels and connected by a few stairs (a carport and the original two-bedroom cottage are separate). The long face of the building is positioned precisely solar north — that is, 10.8 degrees west of magnetic north, which is the optimum orientation for the climate zone.} 

_{A powerhouse in passive design features, the home has an open plan that incorporates louvres for cross-ventilation, large openings, shady verandas on two sides and block work walls for thermal mass. But equally important to sustainable outcomes is the commitment of the owners to making the best choices every step along the way. McKenzie says that working with Jodie and her husband, Paul, was easy because they has a sustainability mindset.} 

_{“When I was 19 my uncle gave me a copy of Bill Mollison’s Permaculture One and it gave me a different way of thinking about things,” Jodie said. Paul and I had a shared vision for adopting sustainable principles, and we became aware of the peak oil and the energy crisis. Now these passive notions are becoming more important as time goes on.}

_{“We bought this five-acre [2ha] block while we were living at The Gap [in Brisbane]. Our first idea was to build a straw bale house, but with children under eight we decided that wouldn’t be ideal.”}

_{“Both green and smart, the new home has automated features to assist with climate change. A C-Bus electronic system turns lights on and off on entry and exit, and high windows open and close according to the room’s temperature, by a hi-tech weathervane that also picks up on wind direction, rainfall and other information shown and managed on the family’s computer.} 

_{The house uses renewable materials such as plantation timber’s and bamboo flooring from recycled materials. The kitchen bench is recycled and polished, as is the plywood raked ceiling that gives the room its honey glow. “Brett haunts developers searching for materials to reuse,” Jodi said.} 

^{Ultimately it is the energy-saving factor of the home that makes the difference.}

Give Sustainable a call NOW on (07) 3201 1177 to talk to your highly awarded experts in sustainable home design and construction and start planning your new sustainable home today!

This article featured in The Courier Mail discusses the successful renovation to the Oxley cottage which was greatly affected by the early 2011 Queensland floods.

Text Translation 

_{Red Box (bottom right corner):}

_{“Simple life: The original cottage (below) was stripped back with insulation added to the roof and walls before it was re-clad. Overhangs and fibrous cement awnings add protection and is timber screen adds privacy.”}

_{Body Text:}

^{Michelle Collins}

_{IT WAS flooded up to the ceiling earlier this year and now a makeover has given this Oxley cottage a “hat” to protect it from the summer sun.} 

_{Brett McKenzie, chief executive of Sustainable Buildings, who designed the exterior makeover, said the goal was to use simple solutions to create a big impact.}

_{“It was a fairly cheap cottage with an asbestos shell,” he said.} 

_{“It had been coated in an asbestos sheeting with a brick look and the iron roof had been covered with aluminium roof tiles.”}

_{He said while the faux brick and aluminium were probably the latest trends at the time, the makeover looked for something that would have a longer “life” while at the same time improving the home’s green credentials.}

_{“We looked for simple solutions and used local products to make a high impact with those changes but keeping in min low maintenance in the future,” he said. “Being able to use local products is the key to sustainability as they have the least embodied energy.”}

_{The exterior asbestos sheeting was removed as were the aluminium window awnings, aluminium tiles and original corrugated iron roof.}

_{“We stripped it back to bare,” he said. “We did not want to put cladding on top of cladding.”} 

_{Insulation was installed in the roof and walls, and it was re-clad in a mix of Colorbond Custom Orb and Hardiflex Flat Sheeting and given a new Colorbond Custom Orb roof and gutter.}

_{“The existing house, like a lot of those cottages at the time, were houses without hats; they did not have overhangs or only small overhangs. So we took the opportunity to extend the overhangs to provide insulation and shade,” he said.} 

_{“And we put some fibrous cement awnings over the windows to give them some protection as well.”}

_{A new timber screen adds privacy at the entrance.} 

_{The cost of the external makeover was $44,000 and was completed in 10 days.} 

BEFORE

AFTER

• 

• 

• 

Give Sustainable a call NOW on (07) 3201 1177 to talk to your highly awarded experts in sustainable house design and construction and start planning your new sustainable home today!

After the floods many of us are questioning how we can stop this destruction happening again? A major flood completely destroys our house and even the landscape it sits on.

Of course, there is little many of us can do to stop Mother Nature in a bad mood! But there are things we can do to prevent complete destruction of the landscape we call home.

[Read more…]

Family home at The Gap [in Brisbane] which featured in the The Sunday Mail Dream Homes 2009 feature.

Read about the full transformation of the space, which was occupied with an unwanted pool, and converted into a 45,000L water tank complete with a beautifully landscaped backyard.

Text Translation

_{ECO-FRIENDLY: Transforming the family pool into outdoor living space was always going to save water, especially as the redesigned area (above, with landscape architect Tobias Volbert) now doubles as a water trap.}

_{An eco-conscious Brisbane family has put the planet ahead of summer fun by turning their pool into a water trap to feed the garden. The really clever part was to disguise it with an outdoor room on a floating deck.} 

_{Landscape architect Tobias Volbert from Sustainable Buildings said re-directing water was the key to this $250,000 project.} 

_{The spend included transforming the front garden, engineering works, building the floating decks, doing a vegetable patch, converting the pool and waterproofing a garage.} 

_{Now when it rains, water is captured and filtered in large gravel pits underneath the floating decks, which is then diverted to water the front garden. The remainder spills over into the storm water system.} 

_{“So often you see after rain people still get out and water their lawn,” Mr Volbert said. “This way everything is thoroughly watered.”}

_{Drought proofing the property was a requirement.}

_{The 45,000-litre pool-turned-water tank ensures there is enough water to supply all of the productive landscape and it will eventually be plumbed into the house.} 

_{Before being transformed into a giant water receptacle, the pool was cleaned and water-proofed. Engineering works were then completed before attaching a concrete lid.} 

_{Rain water diverted from the house roof is led into the water tank and used to water the new L-shaped vegetable patch and the garden.}

_{“One big rain and the tank is full and there’s enough water there to water the garden for the next four months.”}

_{The family said they were “thrilled” with the new look.} 

_{“It is a place where you can be comfortable entertaining, lounging, gardening, or just hiding from the world,” they said.} 

_{“We have spent more time in the new space in the past couple of months than in the previous eight years.”}

AFTER

BEFORE

Give Sustainable a call NOW on (07) 3201 1177 to talk to your highly awarded experts in sustainable home design and construction and start planning your new sustainablehome today!

YANGAN CASH AND CARRY

Yangan Cash and Carry (YCC) is a Sustainable commitment which allows the residents of Yangan a place to shop, meet and buy local products. Its sole focus is on the community, encouraging the sale of local produce, offering local delivery to residents and a encouraging sustainability.

Sustainable has injected an enormous amount of capital into the YCC because they believe in the importance of community and providing a meeting venue for the residents to meet, socialise and interact on a daily basis.

Sustainable YCC have been involved in local sponsorship of events including a charity horse ride, which raised much needed funds for the local school at Yangan. Read the full article here.

• Check out the great things that are happening in the Yangan community here.
• And stay connected through their group on Facebook.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

QMBA 2005 – Winner Best Individual Home Value $400,000-$600,000

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• QMBA 2004 – Winner Best Individual Home

HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

• 2004 – WINNER – Brisbane Region – Greensmart Custom Built Home (Toowong House)

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•