These homes were designed to be environmentally sustainable and multi-generational.
House One is a two-storey family home with a multipurpose room on the ground floor that can be easily converted into a bedroom, the bathroom is close by. Minimum 870 wide door openings and wide hallways will enable wheelchair access throughout the ground floor. Flush thresholds lead from inside to outdoors, which provide a step-free path, reducing trip hazards. The downstairs bathroom has a large hobless shower which is easily accessible with taps located on the nib wall, making it easy to operate without getting into the shower for carers.
House Two was built for the parents so that they would have their own independence and be close by as they age in place. This house was built using the same Livable Homes Australia principles as House One. When the parents are no longer able to live independently, they can move to the ground-floor bedroom of House One and this 3-bedroom home can either be sold or rented out for additional income.
Both homes are built to passive solar design principles with the living and dining areas facing north, large windows and sliding doors allow for the winter sun to penetrate into the concrete slab and tile floors, this heat radiates out in the evening, keeping the main living area warm in winter. Strategically placed windows maximise airflow, purging summer heat when the Freo doctor comes in the afternoon. Heavy curtains control temperature movement through glazing. Deciduous vines have been trained over a frame to provide shade in summer to House One and a mechanical shading device to House Two. Insulation has been installed under the roof, over the ceiling and in the brick cavity walls.
In the garden, chickens roam freely throughout the vegetable garden, and scraps are composted.
