Noble House 2019

House Notes – Noble House

Our mud brick and bush pole home was built almost 40 years ago. The mud was sourced from the footprint of the house, the poles locally. Other material like the stained glass windows and Oregon beams came from demolition sites in Melbourne but hand made red bricks, doors, Baltic pine doors etc were picked up from a couple of houses the owner wrecked when the build was “on”. The design features include a northerly aspect to maximise solar gain, thermal mass from walls to the concrete slab and even under slab insulation.

A 1.5 kw solar array provides most of the electrical power with electricity bills roughly equalling the feed in tariff. A wood stove chugs along during the winter providing cooking, hot water and warmth for the home. As time has gone on timber from the 16 hectare property provides more and more of the stove’s needs. In summer water is heated through the evacuated solar tubes and cooking is done through a bottled gas stove. A replacement cylinder lasts around two years.

In summer the home is cooled through its carefully calculated eave overhang which prevents any sun coming in the north facing windows.

An extensive orchard is enclosed to keep most of the local birdlife out. Surplus fruit is bottled during the summer. Also within the cage is a productive vegetable and berry garden. Rainwater tanks provide household water although the toilet uses dam water. The gardens use water from dams or the bore installed 10 years ago.

Built almost 40 years ago costs seem minuscule.

Summer and autumn (plus some winter and spring) fruit and vegetables are largely from the garden. Hot water is from the sun with a wood stove backup, Fuel for the chainsaw is minimal. Electricity expenditure has averaged less than $100 per year since the solar array was installed. Bottled glass for summer cooking , less than $100 per year. You get the picture. But because we live out of town we need a car each. So transport is our major cost.

RECYCLED, RECLAIMED AND REUSED

Most materials are reclaimed, most labour provided by the owner and friends. Big ticket items were the concrete for the footings and slab, the 45,000L concrete tank, the corrugated iron for the roof and more recently the water bore.

• Mud for the mud bricks was sourced from the house site.
• Some poles and beams were sourced locally, others from demolition sites
• Timber ceiling was seconds quality floorboard from the local mill.
• Windows and doors are reclaimed.
• Hand made red bricks are reclaimed from local demolition jobs.