Sustainable House Day, Murray Bridge 1, SA

Lindsayview
 
The brief was to design a quintessential Australian straw bale home with north facing benefits and other environmental considerations  which allowed an extended family to cohabitate harmoniously with each other and the landscape.
 
New Build: purpose built, designed in collaboration with architect Emilis Prelgauskas
 
Sustainable Elements featured in this home
 
Architects notes:
The building achieves passive solar standards of orientation, siting and insulation. The building is well insulated with steel roof deck insulated directly below and further insulated at ceiling levels. Walls to be R6 infill straw bale to the pole frame structure. The result is a building with good passive performance. This is reinforced by climate response features of cross ventilation at floor and clerestory levels, pergola inflow pre-humidification and thermal vent exhaust. The result is a building consuming substantially lower energy levels than standard energy efficient buildings.
 
External walls- strawbale, R6, rendered and painted matt colour green.
 
Internal Walls- some strawbale, most are plasterboard and a main bedroom has internal insulation in walls.
 
Roof- light coloured colourbond to reflect heat, with R2 sisalation and R2insulation, pitch to accept both solar hot water and photovoltaic solar modules.
 
Floor- slab construction with waffle pods, large indian sandstone tiles used throughout living areas, tiles in wet areas, bamboo flooring in study, carpet in formal lounge and vinyl in all bedrooms.
 
Windows- west and north facing verandah enables shading of sunward windows achieving the home to be cooler in summer and warmer in winter, as well as absence of glare from the buildings surface and fenestration. Most windows have window coverings and there are some verandah blinds on the west and north side of the house.
 
Water heating- solar hot water system
 
Solar generation-
• 60,000 litre in ground concrete pool is solar heated from the shed roof.
• Awaiting instalment of 55 thin film amorphous panels
 
Heating & cooling-
• Split air-conditioning system (limited use)
• Ceiling fans in all bedrooms and living areas
• Bifold doors, French doors, sliding doors to deck eating area and front door all have phantom screens for access to fresh air/ventilation.
• Clerestory for cross ventilation
• Gas heater in formal lounge (rarely used)
• Ventilated pantry
 
Garden features- Over 90% of garden plants are either native or drought tolerant. Flowering natives attract a range of birds. We have a herb garden, vegie patches and a fruit orchard. 4 hectares are put into crop for hay production for our own stock, we have several chooks and sheep plus a couple of cows. Animal manures and worm farm castings are used throughout the garden.
 
Water harvesting system- 75,710 litres capacity of rain water tanks, the whole house except for toilets are maintained by rainwater. Small dam for stock is filled by rain water runoff from tennis court.