Kenzai - Sustainable House Day

House Notes – Kenzai

Kenzai is a beautifully renovated home overlooking the ocean, inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian design.

Kenzai’s renovation was achieved by The Design Commission, an interior design studio with a focus on sustainability, in collaboration with Brian van der Plaat Design Studio. The house won Best Addition/Alteration in the 2020 Randwick City Council Architecture & Urban Design Awards. Kenzai was also a highly commended finalist in the 2017 International Green Interiors Awards, and finalist in the 2017 Sustainability Awards.

Sustainable, environmentally friendly and healthy materials and strategies used in the home include:
• Recycled hardwood double-glazed windows
• Heat recovery ventilation that ‘breathes’ for the house, recovering 90% of heat in winter
• Cross-ventilation and external shading
• Exposed concrete floors/ceilings providing thermal mass
• Sustainably sourced Cedar used to line some internal ceilings/walls and external walls
• Wall/ceiling insulation
• Low energy appliances and fridge housed in ventilated cupboard
• Existing pool converted to 25,000L water tank feeding 3 internal toilets and garden taps
• New pool minimises energy/chemical use, solar pool heating
• Large kitchen garden

Sustainability Features

ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES

- Energy efficiency:
- Draught proofing
  Efficient lighting
  Efficient appliances
- Passive heating cooling:
- Cross ventilation
  Deciduous planting around house
  External planting
  Heat recovery ventilation system
  Passive solar designed home
  Shading
  Thermal mass
- Active heating cooling:
- Electric floor heating in some rooms
- Water heating:
- Solar hot water (flat panel)
- Water harvesting and saving features:
- Rainwater storage - Underground
  Stormwater management
  Low flow shower heads
  Low flow taps
- Underground rainwater storage type:
- Old swimming pool with concrete lid
- Underground rainwater storage Size:
- 25,000L
- Water harvesting and saving
- Tank water feeds 3 toilets
- Energy Efficient Lighting
- LED lights throughout
  Natural daylight
  Skylight
- Electric Vehicle Type
- Lexus RX 400h Hybrid electric/petrol vehicle
- Window Protection:
- Adjustable Shading
  Automation/controls
  Awnings (external)
  Drapes/curtains
  Eaves

SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS

- Sustainable materials:
- 1. Benchtops made from 75% recycled materials, 25% natural stone & eco resin or from recycled benchtops
  2. Master ensuite sink made from reclaimed marble-based stone composite
  3. Timber flooring from sustainably managed forests
  4. Reuse of sliding cedar screens, cedar ply floor sheets, cedar ply storage units from stripped commercial fit-out
  5. Recycled hardwood double-glazed windows
  6. Cedar bathtub made in Australia
  7. MgO board external cladding (low embodied energy)
  8. Internal walls lined with EchoPanel, created from 60% recycled PET
  9. Tiles with cradle-to-cradle* accreditation in wet areas (* takes into account full life cycle, optimal resource use, recyclability, renewable energy use, water use)
  10. Sustainably sourced Cedar used to line some internal ceilings/walls and external walls
- Recycled and reused materials:
- Appliances
  Basins/sinks
  Benchtops
  Concrete
  Doors
  Excavated earth
  Light fixtures / fittings
  Rocks/stone
  Tapware
  Timber
  Windows

INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS

- Insulation Type:
- Ceiling
  External walls
- Ceiling Type:
- Bulk – polyester
- Ceiling Rating:
- R3.5
- External Walls Rating:
- R2.0
- External Walls Type:
- Bulk – polystyrene board

RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS

- All-Electric Home?
- Yes
- Renewable energy used:
- Solar PV grid connect
- Size of PV system:
- 5kW
- Average Daily Energy Consumption:
- 5kWh

COSTS AND COST SAVINGS

- Estimate of annual savings:
- $4,000 per annum

HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS

- House Size
- 360m2
- BAL Rating
- BAL – Low: There is insufficient risk to warrant specific construction requirements
- Roof
- Concrete slab, polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation board
- Wall Materials
- Double brick
  Timber
- Wall Materials
- Magnesium Oxide (MgO) board cladding, Cedar cladding, Echopanel acoustic panelling by Woven Image
- Window and Door Types
- Awning
  Double glazing
  Sliding windows/doors
- Window and Door Types
- Steel french doors and all other are recycled timber doors & windows
- Universal design accessability
- Adaptive design
- Universal Design Features
- Kitchen bench/table for wheelchairs to access (75-85cm high)
  Lever handles for doors (no knobs)
  Minimum 110cm wide hallways
  Slip resistant flooring
- Number of bedrooms
- 4
- Number of bathrooms
- 3

GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION

- Garden / Outdoors
- Bee keeping
  Composting
  Edible garden
  Frog friendly
  Local indigenous plants
  Organic
  Permaculture
  Native plants
  Water wise plants
  Wicking beds
- Waste Reduction Practices:
- Compost all food scraps
  Recycle
  Repair
  Take own containers to the supermarket and for take away food
  Toy exchange/library
  Swap with friends and neighbours
  Waste free/reduced construction site
- Other Waste Reduction Practices:
- send soft plastic, polystyrene, clothing & other recyclable products to local council recycling centre. Avoid using glad wrap or plastics in home.

HEALTHY HOME FEATURES

- Healthy home features
- Airtight house design
  Asthma and allergy free certified carpet
  Automated ventilation system
  Chemical free cleaning products used
  Cross flow ventilation
  Formaldehyde free cabinets
  Heat recovery ventilation (HRV)
  Indoor plants for air filtration
  Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
  Natural fibre furnishings
  Natural light and ventilation
  Natural oil sealer/finishes
  VOC free paints/sealer/varnish
  Wax based sealer/finish

Kenzai 2021

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House Notes – Kenzai

Sustainability Features

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