Sustainable House

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The sustainability of our residences is an important part of daily life.
The Concrete House in Canberra's Deakin was constructed with a sustainable approach from the outset.
The project's architect Rob Henry of Rob Henry Architects says the planning started with overlays of sustainable principles and aesthetics.
Henry's brief was to create a contemporary family home that could withstand the pressures of climate change, whilst also ensuring the aesthetic was not compromised by the implementation of thermal performance systems.
Two years in construction, The Concrete House was completed.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/10/17/CBR%20Concrete%20House%202.jpg" alt="">
Winner of the Malcolm Moir and Heather Sutherland Award for residential architect for new houses at the Australia Institute of Architects ACT Chapter 2019, The Concrete House has an 8.5 energy rating and doesn't rely fully on mains service for water and electricity. It is completely disconnected from mains gas.
"Each space needed to optimise solar orientation, and thus the U-shaped planning with central courtyard was developed," Henry said.
The U-shape courtyard maximises solar orientation and cross ventilation and is viewed from each of the residences three wings, with maximum light achieved in as many rooms as possible.
The three wings comprise a north-easterly bedroom wing, a south-westerly circulation spine/services wing and a northerly living and study wing.
They open to the courtyard which anchors the home, with its solar heated swimming pool. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/10/17/CBR%20Concrete%20House%201.jpg" alt="">
The Concrete House is to be showcased at DESIGN Canberra 2019, an annual festival held every November that celebrates local architecture.  
Henry suggests that much like the rest of Australia, Canberra's adoption of innovative solutions for building sustainability has been relatively slow, which in part, he puts down to the lack of architect-involvement on new builds.
"The residential new build market has been busy of recent years, but only a small percentage (only five per cent) of projects are being designed by architects," Henry said.
"There has been a trend to value quantity over quality, with the size of dwelling continuing to rise and the designs lacking consideration for sustainability and longevity. 
"Too many homes are not being designed for their site and for local climate conditions."
Henry says the lifespan of concrete is double or triple other common building projects.
"Concrete is very durable and withstands all weather conditions as it does not rust, rot or burn," Henry said.
The project took longer than standard in part due to the use of concrete, but also due to the high level of detailing and the implementation of thermal performance systems.
Sinking in to the sloping site, from street level The Concrete House has a one and a half storey front facade with a semi inset basement parking and guest wing below.
The entrance is at mid-level and the main house above.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/10/17/CBR%20Concrete%20House%204.jpg" alt="">
Charcoal zinc cladding wraps the main structure to induce a recessive quality. 
The interior reflects the exterior with concrete flooring, stairs and blade walls that extend through the circulation spine. The windows are charcoal framed and the door hardware and joinery details are inset in to crisp white surfaces.
Henry says the build form of the Concrete House takes cues from its surrounding context.
"Situated close to the National Capital’s Parliamentary Triangle, where there is a prominence of concrete cubic forms, the house distils this language into a residential scale," Henry said.
"The materiality speaks to a desire for a building of endurance," Henry added. 
Henry says he hopes The Concrete House will share a level of endurance that the Benjamin House, also in Deakin, has afforded.
The Benjamin House was designed by Alex Jelinek for Professor Bruce Benjamin and his wife in the mid 1950s.
The Czechoslovakian educated architect, who migrated to Australia in 1950 to work on the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electricity scheme, built the home with concrete blockwork, reinforced concrete walls and suspended slabs, timber framed floors and steel and timber roof framing with a membrane roof.
"Benjamin House is architecturally striking yet understated in its landscape context, which is something we worked on for the Concrete House," Henry added.
This article was first published in the Weekend Australian.
 
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Canberra's Concrete House constructed with sustainable principles

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The desire to preserve the special character and historical significance of unique places and buildings is at the heart of heritage preservation. But should heritage be “frozen in time”? Or can it sometimes be adapted for re-use in sustainable ways?
Safeguarding heritage for future generations can celebrate urban histories. But it can also make environmental sense. This includes conserving the embodied energy in buildings and retaining examples of design suited to the local environment.
However, some may see heritage protection as an imposition. This might include owners who wish to add modern sustainability features to a heritage building.
Say, for example, a home owner wants to improve thermal performance and energy efficiency by using double-glazing and solar panels. Would a council heritage officer reject such improvements?
If done well, heritage protection can add value to buildings, neighbourhoods and communities. The benefits can include:
<ul>
<li>preserving cultural and architectural assets</li>
<li>defining the character of places</li>
<li>contributing to social and community well-being</li>
<li>improving the overall built environment.</li>
</ul>
What is old is new again
Many of the world’s cities need to accommodate population growth and activities within existing urban areas. Even places and buildings that are treasured for their cultural value can face mounting pressure for demolition and redevelopment to accommodate growth.
Environmental challenges like climate change are also driving efforts to adapt built environments to be more sustainable and liveable.
How best to protect built heritage then becomes a key question. Fortunately, we can often sustainably modify built heritage for new uses.
Indeed, we have been recycling old places since the first cities were created.
“Adaptive re-use” is the process of repurposing built heritage for new functions. It’s based on the idea of “preservation through transformation”.
Sustainably retrofitting heritage buildings
The possibilities created by adaptive re-use can easily capture the imagination. Could a former chocolate factory be converted into retail spaces? Or a power station be turned into a bookstore, cafe, restaurants or museum? Or a market building be transformed into a museum and studios for artisans?
Adaptive re-use offers potential social, economic, cultural and environmental returns. There are now many successful examples of this. For example, London’s iconic Tate Modern gallery is housed in a former power station.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/189732/original/file-20171011-16686-1se7f7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/189732/original/file-20171011-16686-1se7f7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
From power station to art gallery: the Tate Modern in London. <a class="source" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.flickr.com/photos/reservasdecoches/3661674044" target="_blank">Alquiler de Coches/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY</a>
Commentators have noted how since the 1970s formerly disparaged inner-city areas have become trendy around the world. Preserving heritage while allowing buildings and districts to evolve organically in response to current needs is possible.
Buildings are not the only heritage assets that can be adaptively re-used. There are many examples internationally where sites such as cemeteries have been re-used for parks and gardens. One may be seen in the Shandon Architectural Conservation Area in Cork, Ireland.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/189724/original/file-20171011-16660-1yvg06y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
This historic, heritage-protected graveyard in Shandon has been adapted into a pocket park. Tony Matthews
In Sydney, the Paddington Reservoir Gardens are a recycled former water storage reservoir. It’s now a beautiful urban park. As well as recreation and relaxation, the park offers urban cooling.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/189707/original/file-20171011-2038-1uu94bj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/189707/original/file-20171011-2038-1uu94bj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Paddington Reservoir Gardens in Sydney were formerly a water storage reservoir. <a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paddington_Reservoir_Gardens_2010.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY-SA</a>
Adaptive re-use is different to “facadism”, where only the external shell of a building is saved. Adaptive re-use attempts to preserve the interior of building too (wherever possible), sometimes incorporating old fittings in playful ways. Facadism is a less elegant and useful version of heritage protection.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/189702/original/file-20171011-2038-1bj2o0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/189702/original/file-20171011-2038-1bj2o0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
 An example of ‘facadism’ – only the shell of the building is retained. <a class="source" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.flickr.com/photos/newtown_grafitti/6835379279" target="_blank">Newtown grafitti/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY</a>
So what is allowed in adaptive re-use?
Given the many possibilities for repurposing buildings and places, we need to keep in mind what steps can be taken to preserve heritage and improve sustainability. Legal, practical and financial questions are central to decisions on adaptive re-use.
A raft of international and national laws, conventions and organisations have emerged in recent decades to guide heritage management. These include the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the Burra Charter and the UNESCO World Heritage List. And practical guidance to protect built heritage while sustainably adapting it is becoming more common.
The European Union has developed guidelines and best practice examples for local governments. These provide guidance for achieving ambitious energy efficiency standards when renovating historic buildings. This is seen as a way for heritage buildings to become beacons of sustainable development at the community level.
ICOMOS Australia also has a range of information about guidelines for sustainability retrofits and adaptive re-use of heritage buildings.
For example, let’s return to our earlier example of fitting solar panels to a heritage building. In South Australia the use of solar panels on heritage buildings needs to ensure they are not visible from the street. Hobart City Council has very specific guidelines for incorporating solar in heritage buildings. In Queensland, sustainability upgrades must not damage or obscure views of the heritage building, must not damage the “significant fabric” of the building, and must be sympathetic in size, scale, colour, materials etc.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/83975/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Adaptive re-use offers great potential to protect built heritage while meeting principles of sustainability. Practices that combine built heritage protection and sustainable development are gaining momentum in many cities. Comprehensive, integrated and strategic guidance is the first and best step towards supporting the exciting possibilities.
Jason Byrne, Associate Professor of Environmental Planning, Griffith University.
Tony Matthews, Lecturer in Urban and Environmental Planning, Griffith University.
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-re-use-and-recycling-work-for-heritage-buildings-and-places-too-83975" target="_blank">original article</a>.
Main photo: The old Pratt Street power plant in Baltimore in the US is now home to commercial uses. But the heritage preservation is compromised by advertising that is not sympathetic to the building style and design. Source: <a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BaltimorePowerPlant.JPG">Wikimedia Commons</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Sustainable re-use and recycling work for heritage buildings and places too

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Stockland has created one of the most sustainable project homes ever built in Australia at its Willowdale residential community at Denham Court in south west Sydney.
It seeks to encourage more environmentally friendly home design and construction.
The two-storey family home has been designed, built and recently certified to the 8 star NatHERS rating, which means the house is designed to achieve close to net zero emissions through its range of energy-saving and ecologically sustainable features.
The Willowdale Community Place is a display home that shows dream homes can save thousands of dollars every year with energy saving inclusions that maximise the warmth of the sun through winter and minimise the impact of the sun’s heat through summer.
It allows customers to choose the energy saving features they would like to include in the construction of their homes.
Andrew Whitson, CEO Residential at Stockland, said the aims was making suburban communities greener.
"Both in a physical sense with more green, open, public spaces, parks, playgrounds, walking trails and cycleways; and showing customers how they can save money over a lifetime through more energy-efficient home design and construction.
“This is not a concept house; all ‘eco’ features, fittings and inclusions are commercially available right now. For example, for a medium-sized home, installing solar panels will cost around $7,000 upfront. On a yearly basis, solar will save that same house between $1,000 and $2000 in energy costs, meaning they will recoup their investment within five to seven years and reaping ongoing cost savings for many years after that.”
NSW Environment Minister Mark Speakman said the NSW Government was committed to making more energy efficient homes the norm.
“Projects like Willowdale set the standard for how communities, industry and government can work together to develop great places to live that are good for the environment,” Mr Speakman said.
Stockland has so far sold more than 1,000 residential lots at Willowdale.
On completion, Willowdale will comprise around 3,300 homes, a neighbourhood shopping centre anchored by a full-line Coles supermarket and specialty stores.
Stockland has also made provision in the masterplan for 25 hectares of parks and playgrounds and the inclusion of a new state primary school.
Key sustainability features of the Willowdale Zero Emissions House:
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="213">
Sustainable energy-saving features (for a 25 square home)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="213">
Approximate cost
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="213">
5kW solar energy system
</td>
<td valign="top" width="213">
$7000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="213">
Double glazing upgrade
</td>
<td valign="top" width="213">
$6000 extra
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="213">
Draught sealing
</td>
<td valign="top" width="213">
$2000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="213">
Insulation upgrade
</td>
<td valign="top" width="213">
$2000 to $3000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="213">
External shading (east and west)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="213">
Cost neutral if offset by not buying expensive heavy internal blinds
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="213">
Heating and cooling system
</td>
<td valign="top" width="213">
Typical standard inclusion, so cost neutral
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Other sustainability features:
<ul>
<li>Designed for Silver Livable Housing Australia Compliance and designed to a Silver Level Livable Housing Australia (LHA) rating.</li>
<li>Automatic Edmonds Odyssey home ventilation system which provides energy efficient ventilation. Odyssey air exchange system reduces air conditioning usage through intelligent air exchange between inside and out.</li>
<li>Ecomax concrete, which significantly lower embodied energy than standard concrete. Use of recycled materials and by-products.</li>
<li>Rainwater tank with grey water treatment system to meet the demands of flushing toilets, washing machine and garden maintenance Collection, storage and local reuse of rainwater to serve WCs and outside irrigation. Grey water system captures and reuses domestic waste water (hand basins, laundry and showers) for use in irrigation.</li>
<li>Solar gas boost hot water system</li>
<li>Low Volatile Organic Compounds paint which minimizes outgassing</li>
<li>Tapware specified to the highest water efficiency standards rating available: 6 Star WELS rated tapware with 4 litres per minute of water consumption.</li>
<li>Vegetable garden, compost bin and worm farm</li>
<li>Weather seals to external doors and windows to minimize unwanted outside air entering the home</li>
<li>Energy efficient internal LED lighting</li>
<li>Low maintenance and water tolerant plants used in landscaping</li>
<li>R0.5 Waffle pod concrete is poured over insulating pods providing thermal mass to store energy. The insulating pods reduce heat loss to the ground in winter.</li>
<li>Wall wrap and insulation to internal and external walls, roof and floor.</li>
</ul>
Customers can register their interest in acquiring a block of land at <a href="https://www.stockland.com.au/willowdale" target="_blank">www.stockland.com.au/willowdale</a> or by visiting the on-site Willowdale Sales and Information Centre.
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8 star energy-efficient home by Stockland at Denham Court

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GUEST OBSERVER
Low-energy or zero-energy housing is international best practice, but is still considered costly.
Part of the problem is that studies of housing standards typically use only cost-benefit analysis to assess their value, and so often wrongly conclude that sustainable housing is unaffordable.
Our new research shows how such analyses may miss some flow-on financial benefits – such as reduced energy bills and lower mobility costs. Most importantly, these analyses also overlook effects on householders' health and quality of life arising from factors such as improved thermal comfort.
Sustainable housing can also have important benefits for some of the most vulnerable members of our community, as the report released this week shows.
The environmental performance of Australian housing has improved slowly, associated with changes in minimum building regulations and the creation of subsidies such as solar rebates. This is despite sustainable housing having many documented benefits, including lower (or non-existent) utility bills and greenhouse gas emissions, and improved comfort and health.
Conventional cost-benefit analyses exclude these benefits. That leaves significant gaps in the story that could be used to support investment in sustainable housing.
<h2>What did the study assess?</h2>
Our study involved a three-year, mixed-method evaluation of a small sustainable housing development in Horsham, Victoria. Commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the study used both quantitative and qualitative methods, which are rarely combined to assess housing policy and environmental performance.
Four two-bedroom, nine-star-rated (under the National House Energy Rating Scheme, NatHERS) houses were built to maximise passive solar principles. The design elements and technologies used included (partial) reverse brick-veneer construction, double-glazed windows, solar hot water, a 1.5-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system and a shared 5,000-litre rainwater tank.
The houses were built without air conditioning. They do have ceiling fans and gas heating in the living area.
We evaluated these nine-star houses against seven control houses also in Horsham and built to DHHS standards, with a six-star NatHERS rating. We also compared the results to a DHHS technical model of standard industry practice. We conducted a traditional cost-benefit analysis, technical performance analysis (utility consumption, internal temperature), three rounds of interviews with the householders during different seasons, and a personalised household sustainability assessment.
Through a traditional cost-benefit lens, the nine-star housing was not financially viable for DHHS. Even if DHHS was able to capture the savings to the householders, payback was only achieved within 40 years for one of the four dwellings in a high-energy-price future. This was due to higher-than-expected capital costs for the sustainability initiatives.
<a href="/images/2016/08/29/image-20160727-21569-1rlvkw5.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/08/29/image-20160727-21569-1rlvkw5.jpg" alt="">
<h4>
Falling short: the conventional cost-benefit outcome for the nine-star houses. RMIT Centre for Urban Research, DHHS
</h4>
However, resale value could be up to A$40,000 higher per unit. The technical performance analysis also identified significant benefits for the nine-star households. These included reduced utility consumption and bills. One occupant told us:
Look, I haven’t paid any off my power bill in six months and I’m still in credit.
We found that these households:
<ul>
<li>
were A$1,000 a year better off as a result of reduced utility consumption (including solar feed-in tariff);
</li>
<li>
purchased 45 percent less electricity than the control households (and 73 percent less than the standard industry practice);
</li>
<li>
consumed 22 percent less water (30% less than the industry standard);
</li>
<li>
had 40 percent less CO₂ environmental impact from power use (63 percent less than the industry standard); and
</li>
</ul>
<h4><a href="/images/2016/08/29/image-20160728-21558-1mcn2gn.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></h4>
<img src="/images/2016/08/29/image-20160728-21558-1mcn2gn.jpg" alt="">
<h4>
Car equivalent of environmental performance. RMIT Centre for Urban Research, DHHS
</h4>
<ul>
<li>were comfortable with the indoor temperature of their house for 10% more of the time (even without air conditioning).</li>
</ul>
<h4><a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/132279/area14mp/image-20160728-21591-wyl97v.png"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/132279/width754/image-20160728-21591-wyl97v.png" alt=""></a></h4>
<h4>
Summary of average annual utilities consumed/generated from each dwelling. RMIT Centre for Urban Research, DHHS
</h4>
Extreme weather events magnified the comfort benefits. On a second consecutive day above 41℃, the nine-star houses were up to 16.6℃ cooler (without air conditioning) compared to the department’s standard six-star house (which had air conditioning).
This meant householders could stay at home during heatwaves rather than needing to seek alternative accommodation, which happened sometimes for the control households. One occupant said:
…in summer I would sit down at the supermarket, you know, because it was cool … [Now] I can stay home and veg out.
<h4><a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/132280/area14mp/image-20160728-21574-1kidnxz.jpg"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/132280/width754/image-20160728-21574-1kidnxz.jpg" alt=""></a></h4>
<h4>
Temperature in the living rooms of monitored houses and external temperature for January 18-19, 2013. RMIT Centre for Urban Research, DHHS
</h4>
<h2>Residents confirm well-being benefits</h2>
Interviews with residents highlighted positive social outcomes from living in sustainable housing, which supported the technical data. The benefits they described included improved health and personal finances.
For example, these householders said they had extra spending money due to low (or no) utility bills. This meant they could buy children Christmas presents, avoid personal debt and lay-by, or go on a holiday.
"I do go clothes shopping on occasion now instead of thinking, “Oh God, I have to go and lay-by that.”
Householders described how this led to reduced stress and better mental health.
The research demonstrates that the housing sector’s over-reliance on cost-benefit analysis may be overlooking important benefits (and detriments) of different housing arrangements. Combining qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods can help uncover a more detailed and complete picture of how housing affects people’s lives.
Our research also highlights how sustainable housing benefits extend beyond the environment. These flow-on effects can improve the living conditions of some of the most vulnerable members of society. This, in turn, potentially reduces pressure on health and other support systems and sectors.
<h2>Combining sustainable and affordable housing</h2>
Our study is part of an emerging body of research that challenges the idea that sustainable housing is unaffordable.
The evidence increasingly shows that sustainability and good design can improve affordability when fuller cost-benefit analyses are undertaken and non-monetised social, health and well-being benefits are considered.
To date, however, there is limited “real world” research into people living in sustainable housing, particularly in the affordable housing sector. Without more multidisciplinary evaluations of this kind, we are left with an incomplete picture of the benefits of this type of housing.
Such studies will be critically important as Australia seeks to make the transition to a more sustainable future. Climate change and increased livability costs are likely to add to the challenges for social housing organisations and the tenants who depend on their services.
Trivess Moore is research Fellow, RMIT University and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/trivess-moore-12580" target="_blank">here</a>.
Cecily Maller is vice chancellor's Senior Research Fellow, RMIT University and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cecily-maller-15732" target="_blank">here</a>.
Ralph Horne is deputy Pro Vice Chancellor, Research &amp; Innovation; Director of UNGC Cities Programme; Professor, RMIT University and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ralph-horne-160543" target="_blank">here</a>.
Yolande Strengers is senior Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yolande-strengers-15350" target="_blank">here</a>.
All are authors for The Conversation.
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