Exeter Strawbale Home 2017

House Notes – Exeter Strawbale Home

This house was built for a couple moving into retirement and is cob and mudbrick inside, strawbale external walls on a concrete stab. The strawbale construction and double glazing work with the northern aspect to create a very liveable home in winter and a cooler environment in summer.

Surrounded by productive vegetable gardens and fruit trees, the property is sustainable yet a lovely place to live.

3.6kw solar and 5kw LG battery were installed in 2017.

6.9 Southern Highlands.

Saving more for heating and cooling.

Designed by Arthur Lathouris and built by Viva Living Homes

Sustainability Features

Years Open
2016
2017
ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES
    • Energy efficiency:
    • Efficient lighting
      Draught proofing
      Efficient appliances
    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Shading
      Cross ventilation

    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Solar passive
    • Active heating cooling:
    • Ceiling fans

    • Active heating cooling:
    • Slow combustion wood fire
    • Water heating:
    • Solar hot water (evacuated tube)
    • Water harvesting and saving features:
    • Underground storage
      Above ground storage
      Greywater system
      Stormwater management
      Low flow shower heads
      Low flow taps
      Drip irrigation

    • Underground rainwater storage type:
    • Concrete tank
    • Underground rainwater storage Size:
    • 100,000L
    • Above ground rainwater storage Type:
    • PVC water tank
    • Above ground rainwater storage Size
    • 2000L
    • Water harvesting and saving
    • Using treated water from household water treatment tank on some ornamental gardens.Attempting control of water flow over block to encourage absorption
SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS
    • Sustainable materials:
    • Straw, cob, site soil internal render and mortar, mud brick, double glazing
INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS
    • Insulation Type:
    • Ceiling
      Internal and external walls
    • Ceiling Type:
    • Batts
    • Ceiling Rating:
    • R4
    • Floor Rating:
    • Waffle pod construction
    • Internal / External Walls Type:
    • Strawbale and batts
    • Internal / External Walls Rating:
    • R7+ for strawbale and R4 batts
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS
    • Energy star rating:
    • 6.9 Southern Highlands (9.9 - Sydney)
    • Renewable energy used:
    • Solar PV grid connect
      Energy storage
COSTS AND COST SAVINGS
    • Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
    • $100 000
    • Estimate of annual savings:
    • Less for heating and cooling
HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
    • House Size
    • 165m2
    • Window and Door Types
    • Double glazing

    • Window and Door Types
    • Tilt and turn European style
    • Number of bedrooms
    • 3
    • Number of bathrooms
    • 1
GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Attempting control of water flow over block to encourage absorption. Reusing all household water, after treatment, on ornamental garden.
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Drip irrigation
      Water wise plants
      Edible garden
      Organic
      Permaculture
      Composting
      Native plants
      Chickens

HEALTHY HOME FEATURES
    • Healthy home features
    • Grimes earth paint, site soil internal render
Location
Exeter NSW 2579
    • Housing Type:
    • Standalone House
    • Project Type:
    • New Build
      Continual Improvement
    • Builder
    • Viva Living Homes

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