This timber frame house was built in the late 1950s, and one family lived in it until we purchased it almost 10 years ago. A timber house captures carbon emissions, with the carbon that was captured by the living tree not released until the house burns down or rots.
We pulled out the interior wall coverings which were in poor condition and insulated in all the interior and exterior wall frames and the ceiling (under the floor is a bricked in air cavity) – the insulation makes the house so comfortable year round and so energy efficient. The insulation is a key sustainability feature of the house though impossible to show in photos.
Though we installed a heat pump air conditioner/heater we never use it because the insulation keeps the house so comfortable. We just use fans during heatwaves, and in winter, we use a carbon neutral wood fireplace to heat the home.
Unfortunately at the time we renovated we weren't aware how terrible gas is for the climate and we installed a gas hot water heater and a gas cooktop.
We use the house’s greywater on the garden (which is 100% edible), collect rainwater for drinking, compost our compostable waste, and use trees to cool in summer and allow in warmth in winter - for example, we planted a deciduous fig tree to shade a western-facing bedroom. The transpiration and shade of the many trees we have planted help us cope with heatwaves, and we’ve planted perennial species that are suited to low-rainfall conditions.
