THE SOLUTION

Sustainable Products and energy efficient materials have been used around the house helping to gain its Lifestyle award in the Master Builders Awards.

The building is supported on 75 reinforced concrete piles at 4.2 metres deep and the whole perimeter of the slab is insulated with hot blocks to entire footing. It has a fully suspended polystyrene pod foundation system. Douglas fir framing is throughout the design, including roof framing and all external walls being sustainable at 140mm. The cladding is also sustainable, made up of Weathertex (made from eucalyptus), and corrugate cladding elsewhere. All walls, internal and external, midfloor all fully insulated with Earthwool to above NZBC requirements. R5.2 to ceilings, R3.2 to exterior walls, R2.6HD to interior walls, R2.7 to midfloor. The roof holds the solar panels to fuel the power and water. The Front entry door is thermally broken, as well as the double glazed thermally broken aluminium joinery carried throughout the home. The double glazing continues in the glass conservatory, and Louvres in the glass conservatory for shading in summer. Sun protection is added in the west elevation through the bronze tinting on the windows. Thermal mass is an important feature in the design with traydeck concrete midfloor being installed on the second level and the exposed timbercrete block wall through the house. The living/dining features electric opening windows in high ceiling areas for passive ventilation and cork flooring for reduced impact, sound and thermal insulation. There is Macrocarpa sarked ceilings throughout as well which was all supplied and installed by the owner. Retention tanks were installed for the reuse of water in the toilets, laundry and garden hoses.