Wision House 2021

House Notes – Wision House

This two-and-a-half-storey, architecturally-designed and owner-built house is located at the highest point of Scarborough Beach Road in Doubleview. The house is the first strawbale building that has been approved and built in the City of Stirling, and one of the first in the metropolitan area.

The combination of passive solar design, strawbale walls, insulated sandwich roof panels and double glazing make the house comfortable all year round – without the need for heating or cooling. Together with the solar hot water, solar PV, efficient lighting and appliances, this house generates more power than is used by its five occupants.

The home’s compact modern design allows maximum flexibility and adaptability, with the capacity to accommodate two families within the single house and adjust to the changing needs of the occupants.

The house incorporates a large number of Environmental Sustainable Design initiatives and innovative materials:

  • Laminated timber beam and column structure
  • Strawbale walls
  • Lime and clay render
  • Aerated concrete blocks
  • Argon-filled, double-glazed tilt-and-turn timber windows
  • Charcoal-coloured burnished concrete floor
  • Sandwich panel roof
  • Paper-faced strawboard structural floor/ceiling
  • Bamboo flooring
  • ALPOLIC off-cut façade cladding
  • Evacuated tube solar hot water system
  • In-ground rainwater tanks plumbed in for toilet flushing
  • Greywater irrigation system (under construction)
  • Water-efficient appliances
  • Energy-efficient lighting and appliances
  • 2.3kW PV solar system.

Designed and built by Christian and Deepti Wetjen.

Sustainability Features

Years Open
2015
2018
2020
2021
ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES
    • Energy efficiency:
    • Draught proofing
      Efficient lighting
      Efficient appliances
      Energy monitoring
      Smart home features
    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Cross ventilation
      Passive solar designed home
      Shading
      Thermal mass
    • Active heating cooling:
    • Ceiling fans
    • Water heating:
    • Solar hot water (evacuated tube)
    • Water harvesting and saving features:
    • Rainwater storage - Above ground
      Rainwater storage - Underground
      Grey water system
      Low flow shower heads
      Low flow taps
      Drip irrigation
    • Average water consumption per day:
    • 75 L
    • Underground rainwater storage type:
    • Poly Tank
    • Underground rainwater storage Size:
    • 4000L
    • Above ground rainwater storage Type:
    • Thintanks (poly slimline rainwater tank)
    • Above ground rainwater storage Size
    • 3000L
    • Energy Efficient Lighting
    • LED lights throughout
      Natural daylight
    • Window Protection:
    • Awnings (external)
      Blinds
      Drapes/curtains
      Eaves
      Honeycomb blinds
      Shade Sails
SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS
    • Recycled and reused materials:
    • Leftover Durra Panels (strawboards) and off-cuts of aluminium cladding
    • Sustainable materials:
    • Strawbales, clay-sand render, lime-sand render, aerated concrete blocks, bamboo, timber
    • Recycled and reused materials:
    • Bathroom cabinets
      Cladding
      Insulation
      Railway sleepers

INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS
    • Insulation Type:
    • Under-roof
      Ceiling
      Internal walls
      External walls
      Floor

    • Ceiling Type:
    • Durra Panel (strawboards) and plasterboard
    • Ceiling Rating:
    • R 3.12 (combined Durra Panel and acoustic insulation)
    • Floor Type:
    • Ground floor exposed concrete with EPS insulation below, Durra Panels for all other floors
    • Floor Rating:
    • R1.1
    • Under Roof Insulation Type:
    • Insulated panels
    • Internal Walls Insulation Type:
    • Bulk – polyester
    • Internal Walls Insulation Rating:
    • R2.5
    • External Walls Rating:
    • R7.0
    • External Walls Type:
    • Straw (stawbale walls)
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS
    • All-Electric Home?
    • No
    • Renewable energy used:
    • Solar PV grid connect
    • Size of PV system:
    • 2.3kW
COSTS AND COST SAVINGS
    • Total cost of home when constructed:
    • Between $300,000 and $350,000 in 2010
    • Estimate of annual savings:
    • $2,000-$3,500
HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
    • House Size
    • 170m2
    • BAL Rating
    • BAL – Low: There is insufficient risk to warrant specific construction requirements
    • Roof
    • Insulated panel (sandwich panels)
      Metal (Colorbond)
    • Wall Materials
    • Aerated concrete
      Hebel blocks
      Lightweight construction (timber frame)
      Metal (Colorbond)
      Metal (Zincalume)
      Strawbale
    • Window and Door Types
    • Awning
      Bi Fold
      Double glazing
      Low-e, films
      Sliding windows/doors
      Tilt and turn

    • Universal design accessability
    • Adaptive design
      Multi-generational
    • Universal Design Features
    • 80cm minimum door opening width
      Hobless showers
      Lever handles for doors (no knobs)
      Rocker style light switches
      Shower head on rail for various heights
      Tapware to be easily accessed from outside the shower
    • Number of bedrooms
    • 4
    • Number of bathrooms
    • 3
GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Composting
      Drip irrigation
      Edible garden
      Native plants
    • Waste Reduction Practices:
    • Compost all food scraps
      Make jams/conserves
      Recycle
      Toy exchange/library
      Swap with friends and neighbours
HEALTHY HOME FEATURES
    • Healthy home features
    • Chemical free cleaning products used
      Cross flow ventilation
      Lime render/wash
      Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
      Natural light and ventilation
      VOC free paints/sealer/varnish
Location
Doubleview WA 6018
    • Housing Type:
    • Standalone House
    • Project Type:
    • New Build
    • Builder
    • Christian and Deepti Wetjen
    • Designer
    • wetjen Design

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