Three homes open in Margaret River region for Sustainable House Day this Sunday, April 21
Some of the region’s most successful tiny homes will be showcased as part of this year’s Sustainable House Day on Sunday.
Celebrated among innovators, architects and those keen on sustainability in the Margaret River region, Sunday’s open day will highlight advances in design and building technology to cut down on bills, reduce carbon emissions, and improve residents’ lifestyles.
Willcox and Associates architect Timo Bleeker will open 18 Treeside Lane for the second year running as a prime example of what can be achieved on a small footprint.
“The core sustainability aspect for this project was following the passive house principles, which focus on thermal performance and energy efficiency,” he said.
“Concentrating on an outer envelope without thermal gaps and without air gaps achieved the desire of avoiding drafts and temperature losses, which in hindsight lowered the heating and cooling demands for winter and summer.
“By having appropriate insulation thickness, double glazing, a dedicated airtightness layer, and no well-conducting materials within the envelope, the building achieved significant lower energy uses and therefore minimal operational costs.”
Mr Bleeker said the design not only improved power bills, but improved amenity for its occupants without relying on air-conditioning or heating.
The improvements also greatly reduced pollutants released into the atmosphere.
A straw bale house in the Witchcliffe Eco Village and the luxurious Indica Hemp House in Wilyabrup are also listed for Sunday.
The Witchcliffe home will be open as part of an open-house tour of the eco village which aims to be one of the country’s most sustainable residential communities.
For more information, addresses and opening times, visit sustainablehouseday.com, while registrations for the Witchcliffe tour can be made via ecovillage.net.au.
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