» Peterborough Strawbale House

House Notes – Peterborough Strawbale House

Owner-built strawbale house on the banks of the Curdies River at Peterborough. Built to take advantage of the ever-changing northeasterly river, wetlands and rural views.

This home is single-level, but built on stumps to ensure it stays above potential flood waters. It comprises three bedrooms, two bathrooms, open kitchen and living/dining room. It has extensive decking, including a roof deck and an enclosed courtyard for those windy days on Victoria’s Southern Ocean. The house is built using basic sustainability and low-energy principles.

This home is supported by Warrnambool Environmental Action Group.

Original design by owner-builders, later refined with the assistance of Anvill Straw Bale Construction (Brian Hodge) and timber frame by Peterborough Building Services.

Sustainability Features

ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES

- Energy efficiency:
- Draught proofing
  Efficient lighting
  Efficient appliances
- Passive heating cooling:
- Cross-ventilation
  Passive solar designed home
- Water heating:
- Solar hot water (evacuated tube)
  Wood fire wetback
- Water harvesting and saving features:
- Above-ground rainwater storage
- Above ground rainwater storage Type:
- UPVC tank (Bushmans)
- Above ground rainwater storage Size
- 15,000L
- Energy Efficient Lighting
- LED lights throughout
  Natural daylight

SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS

- Sustainable materials:
- Timber frame. Strawbale walls. Sand, lime and clay render. Local native plant garden with thick waste timber mulch to conserve soil moisture and provide weed control.
- Recycled and reused materials:
- Appliances
  Bathroom cabinets
  Doors

INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS

- Insulation Type:
- Under-roof
  Ceiling
  Internal walls
  External walls
  Floor
- Ceiling Type:
- Bulk – glass wool
- Ceiling Rating:
- R5.0
- Floor Type:
- Foilboard 15mm
- Floor Rating:
- R2.0
- Under Roof Insulation Type:
- Anticon rolls 60mm (wool blanket bonded to reflective foil)
- Under Roof Insulation Rating:
- R1.3
- Internal Walls Insulation Type:
- Straw (stawbale walls)
- External Walls Type:
- Straw (stawbale walls)

RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS

- All-Electric Home?
- Yes
- Energy star rating:
- 7.5 Stars
- Renewable energy used:
- Solar PV grid-connected
- Size of PV system:
- 3.75kW

HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS

- House Size
- 176.5 m2 living space + 143 m2 external decking
- BAL Rating
- BAL – 12.5: Ember attack with heat up to 12.5kW/m2
- Roof
- Metal (colorbond)
- Wall Materials
- Strawbale
- Window and Door Types
- Bi-fold
  Double glazing
  Low-e, films
- Window and Door Types
- Casement opening windows
- Universal design accessability
- Wheelchair access
- Universal Design Features
- 80cm minimum door opening width
  Hobless showers
  Lever handles for doors (no knobs)
  110cm minimum width hallways
- Number of bedrooms
- 3
- Number of bathrooms
- 2

GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION

- Garden / Outdoors
- Bee hotels/friendly
  Composting
  Native plants
  Water-wise plants

HEALTHY HOME FEATURES

- Healthy home features
- Chemical-free cleaning products used
  Cross-flow ventilation
  Lime render/wash
  Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
  Natural oil sealer/finishes
  Wax-based sealer/finish

Peterborough Strawbale House 2018

This house is not opening in person, but you can explore the profile and ask the homeowner a question below.

House Notes – Peterborough Strawbale House

Sustainability Features

Ask questions about this house