25 Lanark Street
East Brunswick
Victoria 3057
tel: 03 9386 3700

3 unit sustainable development at North Caulfield

Client brief
Fairlie Nassau , a foward thinking developer asked us to design a" state of the art" sustainable 3 unit town house development on a large block of land in Nth Caulfield. Fairlie wanted to demonstrate that she could incorporate features, like solar hot water, excellent passive solar design, grey water recycling, rainwater catchment and grid interactive photovoltaic power systems to each unit and make them comercially viable. The project has been extremely successful, it not only looks great but performs to a very high standard of comfort and ease of operation.

Passive solar and sustainable design principles
1.North orientation for maximum solar gain in winter with appropriate shading to minimise summer heat loads, unit 2 incorporates roof glazing with remotely controlled sunshading to gain maximum solar access.

2. 6-6.5 Star First Rate score on energy performance

3. Double glazing throughout

4. AAC Concrete block construction - with rendered FC and EcoPly Shadowclad lightweight cladding to second story's.

5. High levels of insulation in walls and ceiling and AirCell wrap in the roof.

6. Draught proofing of doors and windows

7. Energy efficient appliances and light fittings

8. Maximum cross flow ventilation through careful placement of windows

9. Earth To Solar solar hot water services with Bosch instantenous gas backup

10. Bowen Low Nox gas space heating.

11. No auxiliary cooling required , just ceiling fans in bedrooms

12. Garden Saver greywater system- complete recycling for all grey water to flush toilets and water the gardens

13. Underground water collection tanks with town backup for extreme drought conditions

15. External pergola with removable external sail shades and Soltis Ferrari external retractable blinds for summer shading

16. Cedar window frames - sourced from sustainably managed forests in Canada

17. Xeriscape designed landscape by Charles Stewart Landscaping - utilizing grey water collected from the house.

18. Caroma Liano Water efficient shower heads and taps and 3/6 litre toilets to minimise water usage, greywater used to flush toilets and water garden

19. Low toxicity finishes - Breathe Easy Paints and Tung Oil for sealing the floors

20. Solar drying racks in each laundry

Other features of the design
Innovative and extensive design of cabinetry and colour scheme. Generous proportions and ceiling heights. Warm finishes eg extensive use of cedar windows and timber cabinetry, recycled messmate timber overlay flooring. Low maintenance requirements - eg rendered finish externally.