Does your home love you too?

As we continue to see a rise in the cost of living, changes to housing affordability and unpredictable climate conditions, long-term sustainable designs for homes are increasingly desirable. Whether it is a new home or an extension to an existing building, some components of sustainable or environmentally friendly design can always be incorporated – as Ruth Newman suggests.

The design needs to take advantage of the existing sources of heating and cooling, such as the sun and cooling breezes. Windows should be positioned and selected to take advantage of the prevailing breezes and provide cross ventilation to the home. Window sill heights and awning and eaves can be designed to suit the path of the sun on your property to attract the winter sun whilst minimising the impact of the harsh summer sun.

Taking Advantage of Your Property’s Orientation Where possible the rooms should be positioned to take advantage of the orientation of the home. Ideally your living spaces should be on the northern side of the house to take advantage of the ingress of winter sun, with bedrooms and bathrooms on the southern side of the building. If possible rooms such as garages or storage rooms should be positioned on the western side so the impact of the harsh summer sun on the living areas of the house is minimised. If this is not possible appropriate shade structures or deciduous trees can be used to reduce the impact of the western sun. Careful design of the roof, walls, windows and floor of a home can minimise heat gain and loss and therefore reduce the energy consumption from heating and cooling the home. The roofing system needs to have the right insulation to prevent heat flow and keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer. Whether you choose a traditional roofing system or a composite system such as ‘Ritek’ roofing the insulation properties need to be designed to suit the location of your home.

Seal Your Home Against Air Leaks During the design process consideration should be given to sealing the home against air leaks to minimise winter heat loss in buildings. However careful consideration is also needed to minimise condensation and the consequent mould problems associated with excessive condensation build up. There are many products available that comply with Building Code requirements with regards to heat loss whilst addressing the condensation issues.

Rating Tools To Assess Sustainability The Green Building Council of Australia is a national, not-for-profit organisation that is committed to developing a sustainable property industry for Australia by encouraging the adoption of green building practices. They have developed rating tools to assess the sustainability of various types of buildings and owners and developers receive certification of their buildings. At this stage there are measurements for Multi Unit Residential Projects that are focused on:

• Minimising the environmental impacts of developments • Reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions • Allowing developers to capitalise on environmental benefits, and receiving recognition for more environmentally sustainable design • Delivering health benefits and financial savings for building occupants. Whilst there are no rating tools as such for stand alone residential homes, the theory and processes of the design system promoted by the Green Building Council can be applied the design of any home.

A sustainable home can save you money, reduce your impact on the environment and with careful selection of materials can have positive health benefits for your family.

Ruth Newman www.ruthnewman.com.au