Reap the rewards: The benefi ts of building sustainably

REAP THE REWARDS

It’s the latest housing buzz word, and sustainability can certainly make a difference to your home.

STORY: JAMIE SALTER

Sustainability is at the forefront of homeowners’ minds now more than ever, and incorporating a few simple principles can generate big savings over time. Incorporating light and ventilation into the initial design stage can make a big difference when creating a sustainable home. James Seymour Architecture helps people design and build homes that are sustainable all year round. James Seymour launched his business in 2014 and now designs buildings across north-east Victoria, having worked on major projects including Aquamoves, NCN Health’s Irvin House and the Murchison Pool. “Passive principles can make a real difference to the liveability and comfort of the house, without adding a whole lot of cost,” James said. “Each site is different so understanding the microclimate of your site—where the good and bad wind comes from, where the views are and where the best orientation is to maximise light—will all contribute to the planning solution.” Optimising light and ventilation will help create an inviting home and reduce energy bills. “It’s important to take advantage of north light and use shading systems to control that light,” James said. “You want to exclude hot summer sun but include as much winter sun as possible. “It’s about trying to control the orientation of your house to maximise the benefit of north light as much as possible while minimising heat gains from the west and heat loss to the south.” Cross-ventilation is another good way to incorporate sustainable principles in the initial planning stage. “Allowing breeze to pass through the house will mean there’s less reliance on other forms of heating and cooling,” James said. A house can be designed to allow for natural air flow. “There’s lots of times during the year when it can significantly reduce energy requirements and make the house more liveable.” And less is more when it comes to the size of the home. “The bigger the house is, the more heating and cooling it needs. “Making the spaces work harder, thinking about the location of windows to catch views, how living space opens to the landscape and designing seamless connections to outdoor areas can make spaces feel much bigger and provide flexible and adaptive living spaces. “The less space you build the more of your budget you have to devote to finishes, quality fixtures and material choices. “It’s about understanding what adds value for you.” How someone will age with their home is also worth considering, such as making doors and corridors wide enough and minimising steps to allow future accessibility. Another sustainable approach is to renovate an existing home, rather than build from scratch. “Adaptive reuse is a good approach, but this may not work for everybody,” James said.

A Toolamba home designed to allow natural light.

“Allowing breeze to pass through the house will mean there's less reliance “ on other forms of heating and cooling.

A James Seymour design for a Shepparton home.

Each site is different so understanding the microclimate “ of your site — where the good and bad wind comes from, where the views are and where the best orientation is to maximise light — will all contribute to the planning solution. “

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