story RATING |
 5.00 (Highly recommend) from 1 votes (558 Visits) |
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Sustainable House Day, Weegena, Tasmania |
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Category: Sustainable House Day 2009 |
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by bridge  (August 2009) (rank 303rd) |
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Elvenhome
In Weegena, just out of Deloraine on the edge of the Western Tiers you can find Elvenhome. Hand built and cultivated for over 20 years, we are a bio-dynamic farm employing permaculture design principles in both house and gardens. Nestled into native bushland, the pre-existing clearing of four acres has been developed into orchards, kitchen gardens, animal runs and structures for home and wwoofer accommodation. The property is solar-powered and most waste is managed on-site. Rainwater supplies all water needs and goats, chickens and worms feed the orchards and gardens through composting systems. The newest structure nearing completion will offer a versatile space suitable for retreats and workshops. Elvenhome is a home to family and for visitors who wish to experience a productive, vibrant bio-dynamic farm.
New Build: Purpose built & designed by owners. It was built in stages as the family grew, so demonstrates several different building elements.
Unique Sustainable Elements featured in this home
Water Harvesting Systems
Collect 20,000 gal of rain water into concrete tanks using both gravity feed and pumping to feed the house. Grey water is recycled onto the orchard. The house has two dry composting toilet systems; a rota loo 950 & a clivus multrum.
Special Garden Features
The house is set into an extensive Permaculture garden featuring a large orchard and is an excellent demonstration of Permaculture design and biodynamic principals.
House Construction
The house features stone walls with Red cedar cladding and is insulated using R2 insulation Rock Wool, Polyester batts and eco wool
Internal Walls
R2 recycled & polyester batts. Walls use a variety of materials from Pine Timber framing with gyprock plus Trombe wall’ thermal mass is used to provide passive heating.
Floor
Once again a variety of materials have been used in different sections of the house. Hardwood timber flooring insulated with fire retardant R3.5 fibre glass , concrete and of special interesti sawdust/sand/cement which is a cheap and effective flooring feature.
Window Treatments
Single glazing throughout, using pelmeted curtains to insulate through winter and shade in summer
Solar or Wind Power Generation
1 kW solar off grid power system
Heating & Cooling
The house uses cross ventilation for passive cooling and thermal mass for passive solar heating, A wood heater, using wood harvested on site provides extra warmth in winter. Also specially selected species of trees have been planted to provide summer shade but then shed leaves to take advantage of the extra sun for warmth in winter.
Water Heating
Wood heater/stove wetback.
Special Feature
A cool store, for all the fruit and vegetables raised on the property, has been built on the south side of the house and uses vegetation shading to assist cooling in summer.
