Conscious Home
This profile is written and maintained by the homeowner, architect, or builder.
House Notes – Conscious Home
Winner of the 2006 HIA National Greensmart Award for Resource Efficient Housing this building showcases environmentally sustainable principals of architect builder MD Llewellyn Pritchard that are the basis and work of his business Conscious Homes since 1988.
The old home was completely recycled when demolished. Mud silt and river buckshot excavated from the site was mixed with straw and water and high quality mudbricks were hand made on site. Nestled into the ground with an exposed Coldstream aggregate concrete slab, heated with solar hydronic slab coils, facing north using classic passive solar design principals this building is naturally warm in winter and cool in summer. A minimal light weight steel frame is clad in a double insulated cavity skin of mudbrick, north facing double glazing natural operable highlights and the earth coupled slab provides high performance thermal qualities
Being at one with its environment locally and globally makes the home more comfortable to be in all year around. An 80,000 rain water tank for 100 percent domestic supply is built under the slab as a basement. PV solar panels interactive with the grid provide much of the power required to run the efficient systems in the building. Low VOC renewable recyclable materials are used throughout. Even cabinet carcases are made from solid hoop pine ply. The home is a pleasure to be in.
You can also speak with homeowners directly on Saturday 19 September, online, as part of The Nillumbik Trail. Register here to participate.
This home is supported by
This home is hosted by Clean Energy Nillumbik and Nillumbik Shire Council.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
- Energy efficiency:
- Draught proofing
Efficient lighting
Efficient appliances
- Passive heating cooling:
- Cross ventilation
Passive solar designed home
Shading
Thermal chimney
Thermal mass
- Active heating cooling:
- Solar hydronic
- Active heating cooling:
- Solar heated hydronic slab coils
- Water heating:
- Solar hot water (evacuated tube)
- Water harvesting and saving features:
- Stormwater management
- Energy Efficient Lighting
- LED lights throughout
Natural daylight
- Window Protection:
- Drapes/curtains
- Window Protection:
- Eaves
- Recycled and reused materials:
- Existing house demolished and parts reused or sold to others
- Sustainable materials:
- Mud bricks made on site. Sustainable timber and ply lining
- Recycled and reused materials:
- Bricks
Timber
- Insulation Type:
- Under-roof
Ceiling
Internal walls
External walls
- Ceiling Type:
- Bulk – glass wool
- Ceiling Rating:
- R4.0
- Under Roof Insulation Type:
- Foil blanket
- Under Roof Insulation Rating:
- R2.0
- Internal Walls Insulation Type:
- Bulk – glass wool
- Internal Walls Insulation Rating:
- R2.0
- External Walls Rating:
- R4.0
- External Walls Type:
- Foilboard cavity insulation to double mudbrick walls
- All-Electric Home?
- No
- Renewable energy used:
- Solar PV grid connect
- Size of PV system:
- 1.5kW
- Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
- $100,000
- Estimate of annual savings:
- $2000+
- House Size
- 150m2
- BAL Rating
- BAL – 40: Increasing levels of ember attack and ignition of debris with a heat flux of up to 40kW/m2
- Roof
- Metal (Zincalume)
- Wall Materials
- Lightweight construction (steel frame)
Mud brick
- Wall Materials
- Metal sheet cladding
- Window and Door Types
- Double glazing
- Universal design accessability
- Universal access
- Universal Design Features
- 80cm minimum door opening width
Flush thresholds (no lip) to all external doors
No stairs/steps
Self closers to all external doors
- Number of bedrooms
- 3
- Number of bathrooms
- 1
- Garden / Outdoors
- Edible garden
Native plants
- Waste Reduction Practices:
- Compost all food scraps
Recycle
- Healthy home features
- Airtight house design
Cross flow ventilation
Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
Natural light and ventilation
- Healthy Home
- Natural wood cabinets (hoop pine carcasses)
- Housing Type:
- Standalone House
- Project Type:
- New Build
- Open with support of
- Clean Energy Nillumbik
- Builder
- Llewellyn Pritchard MD of Conscious Homes Australia Pty Ltd
- Designer
- Conscious Homes Australia
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