Shac Book Final Web

BUILDING A

BETTER WAY

New builds and retrofits from the Sustainable Habitat Challenge

Contents  

Introduction to SHAC

1

The Plant Room

2

Victoria University of Wellington, School of Architecture

Team Canterbury

4

Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT), University of Canterbury

Team Whareuku

6

Team Housewise

8

University of Auckland, Rotoiti rural M-aori community from Ng-ati Pikiao, Te Arawa

University of Auckland, Housing New Zealand Corporation, Landcare Research, New Zealand Housing Foundation

Team Dunedin

10

Otago Polytechnic, University of Otago

Te Hira Whanau – Bach 101

12

Te Hira Whanau & UNITEC / Te Hononga Centre for Maori Architecture and Appropriate Technologies

Contributors Managing Editor: Tim Bishop

Team Waikato

14

Wintec, Waikato Institute of Technology

Editor: Nicola Mutch Design: John Buchan, Buchan Design Writers: Rowan Holt, Nicola Mutch, Liz Sherwood Photographers: Rebecca Swan, team photographers

Ecocrib

16

Unitec

Team Central Otago

Copyright: Otago Polytechnic - November 2009

 

18

Sol Design, Otago Polytechnic Centre for Sustainable Practice

Sponsors and Supporters

The Sustainable Habitat Challenge is your chance to put your best ideas into practice through creating a future-focused home.

ISBN: 978-0-908846-45-0

back cover

NEW BUILD RETRO FIT

SHAC THE SUSTAINABLE HABITAT CHALLENGE The Sustainable Habitat Challenge (SHAC) is proof that more sustainable living is practical today.

SHAC issued teams a challenge – to collaborate to develop innovative housing that is simple, affordable efficient,

adaptable and desirable. Sustainable, in a word. This meant creating a home that requires fewer resources, produces less waste, represents value for money and supports its community. They were asked to design, fund and construct their project, and complete their work within two years.

RELOCATABLE

It was an ambitious proposal – embraced with vision

turn their thinking into action – creating real, physical examples of options for more sustainable living.

and passion across the country. Teams worked together

We now all have the benefit of this work. The social

creating buildings, retrofits and new products to support

benefits have, in some instances, been striking – they

desirable, more sustainable living.

include healthier homes for Housing New Zealand

Teams included a tertiary institution and included

residents, and buildings auctioned for charity.

students, professionals, tradespeople, educators, iwi,

All teams have documented their ideas and allowed these

local authorities, community housing representatives, and

to be available to both the public and the industry for the

others.

future.

Altogether, nine teams entered, resulting in eight new

The creation, sharing and gifting of knowledge are the

builds and retrofits. Their work reflects a range of

lasting outcomes of this challenge.

approaches to sustainability – from a bolt-on plant room for high-rise apartments through to a mud and flax earth home designed for a rural M-aori community. Values such as resourcefulness, practicality, beauty and social wellbeing were celebrated. Some projects focused on making the most of conventional building techniques to make sustainability a natural part of everyday life. And while the features of the buildings and the philosophies of sustainability are highlights of the challenge, they are by no means the full story. Behind each project is a team, some of whose participants had never met prior to embarking on their work. They not only found common ground through their interests, but were able to

www.shac.org.nz

1

The Plant Room Victoria University of Wellington, School of Architecture

RETRO FIT

INNER-CITY EDEN From a resident’s point of view, one of the least attractive features of Wellington’s inner-city apartment life is lack of space. From an urban designer’s point of view, the need for more indoor and outdoor space presents a base for a regenerative design. Responding to the SHAC challenge, The Plant Room team have designed a bolt-on room that they predict will do more than simply satisfy basic sustainable living principles like reducing metered energy use, water use and waste. By working closely with apartment dwellers throughout the design phase, they are confident and excited that their design will potentially enhance the quality of inner-city high-density life and increase people’s sense of community. The unique pre-fabricated room will bolt-on to a variety of existing apartment types. Jessica Bennett, a Masters of Building Science student at VUW, is managing the project. “The idea was born out of the realisation that our current building stock is likely to be with us for a long time, and there’s a tremendous opportunity to improve these buildings to make them more energy efficient, comfortable to live in and socially sustainable. And by improving existing buildings we avoid the waste of demolition and disposal.” Despite it having many clever features to the design, including solar hot water heating installed on the green (vegetated) roof, Jessica says you don’t need to have green thumbs to get the benefits. The roof collects – and the walls drain – water into planting troughs via a composting worm farm, meaning vegetable plants and herbs are fertilised and watered automatically (all the occupant needs to do is feed the worms with kitchen scraps).

themselves – has worked with structural engineers and apartment residents since the extra-curricular idea was hatched. The aim was to create a “regenerative habitat” – an efficient and sustainable system that meets society’s needs and doesn’t harm nature. They set themselves an ambitious goal of developing two versions of the Plant Room, one to be attached to a Macalister Heights apartment building (above Newtown) for an in-depth case study with ongoing monitoring. Challenged by sponsorship deals falling through and the difficulty in securing a location for the case study development, the Plant Room team have boxed on with their innovative and meticulous design, with eco-sourcing materials and production planning. Jessica says that the team found it very challenging to design a separate, light-weight but supportive structure. Designing it to be pre-fabricated, so bulk production and waste minimisation would be possible, was also very difficult. “The realisation of the Plant Room structure was a huge milestone for us. We are proud that we can provide a solution with so many ongoing benefits to the user. We’re also proud that we’ve been able to keep the cost down, proving that sustainability is not just for the wealthy.”

SHAC FACTS • Low-cost retrofit for high-density housing apartment buildings • Designed to suit north, but also west and east, aspects •

Solar water heating provides 35% reduction in annual energy use (for one person), shades the apartment to avoid summer overheating and collects hot air to circulate warmth in the winter, automated ventilation system for climate control

The more Plant Rooms are added to a building, the higher the efficiencies are expected to be, in terms of thermal regulation with reduced heating and cooling required. But the wider benefits to a community of apartment dwellers, Jessica explains, is “enabling people to grow and share their own food, enjoy a better sense of space and participate more fully in sustainable living, we think will enhance a sense of communal spirit”.

• Worm farm fed on kitchen waste fertilises the garden

The team of VUW School of Architecture students, staff and alumni – many of whom have lived in apartments

• Two versions developed: one to attach to a concrete building, one to attach to a steel building

www.shac.org.nz/group/theplantroom

2

• 4m2 pre-fabricated room that attaches to existing apartments

communication • collaboration • innovation

• Water collected from roof feeds tank to water garden • Garden production: 30% of vegetable requirements of one person from 2m2 growing space •

Composite steel and timber structure, glazing, eco-ply planter beds and growing wall, plantation grown/recycled timber floor and facings, polypropylene planters, native plants on green roofs/walls, and recycled tyre drainage mat.

• Cost: $40,000-50,000 installed (singularly) • Number of team members: 14

www.shac.org.nz

3

Team Canterbury RELOCATABLE

Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT), University of Canterbury

THE HOUSE OF EXPLODING MYTHS A kind of mythology surrounds the right way to build a Kiwi home, believes Engineering Associate Professor Susan Krumdieck of the University of Canterbury, and much of it is flat wrong.

NEW BUILD

Glass is way overused in New Zealand, she believes. Ranch-sliders are notoriously draughty, inexcusable wasters of energy. Concrete floors do not provide insulation. And designing homes so that some rooms can be heated and others left cold is “asking for problems”. “It betrays the thermal integrity of the whole house. You will pay for those cold rooms one way or another,” she insists, “whether it’s with your heating bills, replacing your window frames after they’ve succumbed to years of condensation, or your health.” Her desire to explode these house-building myths became a core motivation as she set her students the task of modelling the energy efficiency of various layout and building technology options. The results contributed to Team Canterbury’s entry to the Sustainable Habitat Challenge.

But while the home features numerous architectural innovations, no peculiar materials are involved, and there’s nothing out of the reach of most New Zealanders. In fact, the house can even be constructed room by room as owners’ needs change and circumstances allow, minimising the financial burden of house-building. This reflects another of the team’s abiding philosophies of sustainability. “A lot of so-called sustainable housing in New Zealand is either commune-style, or enormous mansions where it costs about as much to install solar panels as most people would spend on their whole house,” Susan comments. Instead, she believes that with the right site, good design, and engineers, architects and builders all talking to each other, sustainable housing is eminently achievable. In fact, says Neville, “the key learning for students is that you don’t actually need to do a lot that’s different to create a more sustainable house, so there’s no reason not to do it.” Already, the project has influenced the future of building education at CPIT. “We have taken a lot of ideas from this project and are now redesigning aspects of our curriculum to reflect this,” Neville reports. “The houses we teach students to build will all have single-slope roofs, six-inch walls, double-glazing and more substantial flooring.” “It’s now a matter of refining the methods we used for this build. From now on,” says Neville, “every house we build will be a SHAC house.”

The outcomes were converted into a house design by Dennis Winter from CPIT’s School of Architecture and students from CPIT’s Trades Innovations Institute. The result arranges bedrooms close to its living area, so they are no longer the home’s freezing and forgotten hind quarters. The east-west orientation with no south-facing windows makes full advantage of the home’s northern aspect. Clever and sparing use of glass includes a design for an optional sun-porch that could be closed off at the end of the day, so it doesn’t suck heat out of the house overnight. Well positioned windows and extensive use of up-lights that cast light to the ceiling, from where it bounces delightfully around the room – “Never, ever, penetrate your ceiling with a light cavity,” Susan says – ensures both natural and artificial light are maximised .

SHAC FACTS

Insulation is high quality and plentiful, while details such as ceiling-height doors enable warm air to flow easily between rooms.

• Collaboration between engineers, designers and builders • Energy modelling led to architectural innovations, including floor-to-ceiling doors, no south-facing windows, bedrooms connected to living areas and optional sun-porch • Building designed around “sheet sizes” to reduce waste • No specialist building products – house achievable for ordinary families • House can be built in sections, as finances allow

www.shac.org.nz/group/teamcanterbury

• Number of bedrooms: 2 • Number of team members: 69

4

communication • collaboration • innovation

www.shac.org.nz

5

Team Whareuku RETRO FIT

University of Auckland, Rotoiti rural M-aori community from Ng-ati Pikiao, Te Arawa

INTO THE EARTH When University of Auckland Civil Engineering Senior Lecturer Dr Kepa Morgan and engineering PhD student John (Jing Song) Cheah from the University of Auckland began working on housing solutions with rural M-aori of Rotoiti, the community asked what seemed like perfectly reasonable questions. “Why should we have to purchase materials when we’re surrounded by resources? Why should we pay professionals when there are trained and able unemployed men in the community?” As well as being entirely practical, they were questions that fundamentally understood construction in terms of kaitiakitanga (guardianship), appreciating builders’ responsibilities to the immediate environment, society and the long term care of the land. It is this spirit that underpins Whareuku, the University of Auckland’s contribution to the Sustainable Habitat Challenge. The “UKU” (earth) research had built earthen, single room “social acceptance dwellings” with two rural M-aori communties, but Whareuku would be its first, fully-realised home built under these principles. The material at hand was mud, and John developed techniques for reinforcing earthen walls with flax fibre. It was a labour-intensive task, and the “sweat equity” principle of lowering construction costs soon came into its own. “The whanau would be cutting the flax-fibres to length every evening as they watched TV.” Two strong young men worked as labourers shifting and ramming earth – John reports that as the building progressed “they got even fitter and stronger”. Altogether, the team estimate that 20 % of the total cost of building was achieved through volunteer and whanau labour and local resources; this became the owners’ down-payment on the house.

Cost imperatives also led John to flout tradition, and push the boundaries of the thickness of the rammed earth. To those in the know, the resulting walls are unconventionally narrow at just 150mm wide (received wisdom recommends at least 280mm). Concerns relate to the thermal properties of the earthen walls – heat passes through it readily. But thicker walls come at a cost, not just in terms of resources and labour (spare a thought for our burly earth rammers), but the floor space they commandeer and the extra roofing costs this imposes. And after testing rammed earth blocks in the University of Auckland Civil Test Laboratory, John came to wonder if the approach for assessing the thermal performance of the rammed earth was just a bit narrow. “I found that although heat passes through the walls, their overall thermal mass was underrated. In other words, once they were heated, they could store their warmth for long periods, and indeed emit this warmth back into their surroundings. Once this was taken into account, they appeared a far more effective material indeed.” The results are better than expected. A year after the owners moved in, “The annual heating bill for the Rotoiti Whareuku are in the top 20 % of energy efficiency for houses based on a the HEEP study conducted by BRANZ – we are very much hoping for an improved EECA Home Energy Rating next year!”

SHAC FACTS

Meanwhile, it was clear that an off-the-shelf design would not meet the needs of the couple who would own the property. “We wanted to create a marae-style environment, where extended whanau could get together and share meals.” The result includes two modest bedrooms, but a relatively large lounge that could be configured flexibly. And with the earth walls, says John, “The acoustics are beautiful.”

• Practical, low-cost, flax-fibre reinforced earthen home • Marae-style architecture to reflect social reality of rural M-aori whanau • Sweat equity enabled owners to raise down-payment through labour contributions • Explores using slimmer rammed earth walls than usual to increase floor space and reduce costs • Materials sourced from immediate surroundings where possible

www.shac.org.nz/group/whareuku

• Number of bedrooms: 2 • Number of team members: 12

6

communication • collaboration • innovation

www.shac.org.nz

7

Team Housewise RETRO FIT

University of Auckland, Housing New Zealand Corporation, Landcare Research, New Zealand Housing Foundation

IMPROVING THE STATE OF STATE HOUSING Of the 66,000 homes owned by New Zealand’s largest landlord, around half of them are over 50 years old. Their tenants are among those on the lowest incomes in New Zealand, often have health concerns and are the least able to cope with high heating costs. It’s hardly surprising therefore, that for Housing New Zealand Housing Project Leader Stuart Bracey, the upgrading and maintenance of properties is a top-of-mind issue. So when colleagues at the University of Auckland mentioned the Sustainable Habitat Challenge to Stuart, who is part of the Tamaki Transformation Programme, an eco-friendly light-bulb went on in his head. “The timing was perfect. We had been trying to work out a strategy for upgrading our properties in a way that better supported health and sustainability and met tenants’ aspirations for their homes.” Stuart explains that a typical upgrade package normally costs around $60,000, “and we know what we can do for that – replacing bathrooms and kitchens, insulating ceilings and floors, and so on. But what if we spent $100,000? Could we reconfigure rooms so they were better aspected for the sun? Could we go further in setting up more energy-efficient, health-enhancing homes? What kind of long-term return might taxpayers see for this investment, in terms of the lifespan of the house, the health of the tenants and the reduction of our carbon footprint?”

At Barbara’s request, a kitchen window now looks out over the yard, so she can keep an eye on her four children while she prepares meals. A new vegetable garden has made her a “keen gardener”. In carrying out the renovations, materials including windows and electrical fittings were recycled. The chance to trial design options has been immediately valuable, says Stuart, who reports that 13 further upgrades influenced by the SHAC project are already in the pipeline. However Stuart believes the real value of the retrofit will become clearer over the next 12 months, as outcomes from the monitoring programme are revealed. “We are experimenting with new technology such as heat pumps and rainwater tanks, so we will have a better idea of whether and how to implement these on a greater scale across our properties.” And the easing of one of the children’s asthma symptoms is perhaps the outcome the team is hoping for most. “If we find that an improvement in the living environment may have led to better health for a child, relieved a major stress for the family and reduced pressure on the health system then we will feel we have achieved something very worthwhile indeed.”

SHAC FACTS

SHAC provided an opportunity to begin answering some of these questions. Team Housewise was formed, comprising University of Auckland population health researchers, representatives from Landcare Research and the New Zealand Housing Foundation, and Barbara, the selected home’s tenant. Together, they designed renovations that now include: a more open-plan layout with doors opening onto a deck; wall, ceiling and floor insulation; low-flow taps and shower heads; a rainwater tank for flushing toilets, a heat pump and heat recovery air exchange ventilation system. Cutting back vegetation improved sun and, along with, better paths and fences, added to the safety of the home. All asbestos has been removed from the property. www.shac.org.nz/group/teamhousewise

• Low-cost retrofit for state house • Health, safety, family and water/energy-efficiency goals • Spacious, enjoyable living, bedroom and outdoor spaces created • Improved opportunities for tenant to manage own costs •

Improved insulation, hot water heatpump, energy efficient lighting, low flow shower head, lined thermal drapes under pelmets, new technology LHZ wall heater to replace inefficient open fireplace, and air exchange ventilation technology for reducing damp

• Mechanical air extraction in bathroom ( with humidity sensor activation ) and toilet • Reduced grey water, garden and compost created, material from renovations recycled, specialist removal of asbestos • Number of bedrooms: 3 • Number of team members: 8

8

communication • collaboration • innovation

www.shac.org.nz

9

Team Dunedin Otago Polytechnic, University of Otago

RELOCATABLE

EFFORTLESSLY ECOLOGICAL The fact many visitors might not even pick Team Dunedin’s entry to the Sustainable Habitat Challenge as an example of eco-friendly housing is, they say, a mark of its success.

NEW BUILD

Every year, students in the Carpentry department at the Otago Polytechnic build relocatable homes to as part of their course requirements. But this time, as entrants in SHAC, they used the opportunity to pinpoint just what a more sustainable house could mean for a typical Otago family. This meant joining forces with students, tutors, trades people and volunteers associated with the Otago Polytechnic and the University of Otago, and embracing the idea of being “effortlessly ecological”. Innovations are integrated so seamlessly into everyday lives and values, and so responsive to living conditions and the availability of building materials, you might just about miss them. What you might notice, however, is that life is somehow easier. “Some of these are really simple ideas yet make huge steps toward living an eco-friendly lifestyle,” explains Team Dunedin spokesperson D’Arcy Dalzell. She’s referring to allowing easy access to the outside from the kitchen and laundry for composting and clothes drying, a place for bike storage, and using low VOC-emission paints. Plenty of double-glazed windows with thermally-broken frames soak up the sun, loads of insulation and an efficient heating system also make the best use of energy flows.

The house is relocatable, and the team was keen to explore how building off-site can contribute to sustainability goals. This meant foregoing some of the more obvious energy-efficiency strategies, such as a fully insulated concrete slab floor. However, “Relocatable housing means more than one house can be built simultaneously on the construction site and therefore materials can be delivered and used in bulk,” D’Arcy explains. “It means more people can be employed at one place therefore allowing resources to be shared more easily. And this in turn makes the house quicker to build, and cheaper. This creates fewer emissions and less waste.” What’s more, the house has been designed to make the most of the limit a truck can carry – so even the transport to the new site as efficient as it can be. And in true local spirit, the house will auctioned and the proceeds will be given to charity. “The support from local businesses for technical advice, discounts and donations has been amazing. Because of this we are able to offer a top-of-the-line quality home for auction. It has been a satisfying experience to see the project to go full circle – the beginning and the end embracing the community,” D’Arcy says.

SHAC FACTS

Plus, in deference to Dunedin’s changeable weather, the house is designed to withstand the elements in the highest possible wind and snow-loading zones. And despite the spacious rooms and high ceilings, the house was deceptively cheap to build. That’s where the beauty of meticulous planning comes in, explains Graham Burgess, Programme Manager for Building at Otago Polytechnic. “Additional framing was required because of the heights and more internal/external cladding and the frame is larger to accommodate the insulation. However all of the timber has been ordered at specified lengths so the wastage factor has been extremely low. There was definitely a lot of timber, but very little waste.” www.shac.org.nz/group/teamdunedin

10

communication • collaboration • innovation

• Goal to make living sustainably easy and accessible • Design enables more modules to be built, making it easy to add onto • Argon gas-filled thermally broken windows prevent heat loss • Solar hot water, heat pump, low energy electrical requirements • Low VOC paint • Minimal waste of building materials • Extensively supported by Dunedin community and 25 local businesses • Profits made on sale given back to the community • Educating students, staff and local businesess was an inherent part of the design and construction process • Number of bedrooms: 3 • Number of team members: Core team of 8, greater support network of over 50



www.shac.org.nz

11

RETRO FIT

Te Hira Whanau – Bach 101 Te Hira Whanau & UNITEC / Te Hononga Centre for Maori Architecture and Appropriate Technologies

DEGREES OF SEPARATION The genuine Kiwi bach lifestyle is under threat. Years ago, holidays at the bach were a return to life in its simplest form – sharing time and meals with family and friends, and getting away from home chores and responsibilities, the phone and all the other mod-cons. There was a definite degree of separation between home life and life at the bach. Deeper still, was the connection of families with the place, with the coastline, with the tides and weather. Hard to find now, particularly within the Auckland region, the Te Hira Whanau Bach 101 project set out to insure this basic way of life and connection is sustained by one Auckland family and their Rangitoto Island community. The Te Hira whanau are the only M-aori family to have held a lease for their bach on Rangitoto Island. Minnie Te Hira is the 93 year old lease-holder, sister of the original lessee who helped build it. Their kauri bach, originally built in 1919, is now one of 11 remaining in Islington Bay, and one of only 34 remaining on Rangitoto Island. Rau Hoskins, project manager and lecturer at UNITEC’s Te Hononga Centre for M-aori Architecture and Appropriate Technologies, said “the Te Hira whanau have brought a unique aspect to Rangitoto Island, in the way they cook, and in the way they collect and eat kai moana (seafood). They care for the environment by doing beach cleanups and leading recycling days. They care for anyone who happens to run into trouble on the water. And they have long been the centre of social life with evening gatherings round their cooking fire in the cave in the lava flow behind the house.”

with help from whanau members, think on their feet and at pace, to complete the work including unforeseen repairs in just six days. Only recycled or recyclable materials and locally made products were used. The whanau continued the upgrades by installing the solar panel and lighting system and a second-hand water tank to store rain caught by the new roof. Installation of a Bioloo at the site of the original longdrop required additional excavation of basalt rock which was challenging, and so too was getting the loo to the island from Rotorua. Rau reflected that the success of the Bioloo – “it doesn’t smell!” – is probably the key reason why the project is a success. “Previously, some of the teenage girls and women were walking 300 metres to the nearest DoC toilet, and the cold and damp of the building was putting many of the whanau off staying. Now that the bach is warm and dry and the loo doesn’t smell, they want to stay. And as long as people are staying, the whanau can sustain those genuine experiences of communal endeavour, fraternity and teenagers coming of age.”

SHAC FACTS

The project’s design objective was to retrofit the bach (having had only minor additions and alterations over the past 90 years), in keeping with its current 1950s style, with only three exceptions: insulation (in roof and south wall), electric lighting (solar powered LED lights to replace candles and oil lamps), and a composting toilet (to replace a smelly and practically abandoned longdrop). The absence of eaves led to rot in the roof and south wall which had to be replaced. Students learned a great deal from the de- and re-construction exercise which saw them, www.shac.org.nz/group/bach101

12

communication • collaboration • innovation

• Retrofit of 90-year-old kauri bach in keeping with character • Location: Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island, Hauraki Gulf • 60m2 with two bedrooms, kitchen/dining, porch/bunkroom • Enhanced low-energy bach family life with low energy improvements, and improved safety • Reroof (marine-grade corrugated iron) + insulation (locally sourced polyester batts), reclad back wall + repairs and insulation, recycled or recyclable materials used • Rainwater tank for washing • LED lights and photovoltaic solar panel installed • Leftover materials recycled, composting toilet replaces longdrop • Number in team: 14 + 7 whanau members • Six weeks planning, one week building + ongoing DIY by whanau

www.shac.org.nz

13

Team Waikato Wintec, Waikato Institute of Technology

NEW BUILD

THE HOSPICE HOUSE “Keep it simple” is the principle that sustainable building designers should keep at the front of their minds, believes Trevor Wyatt, project manager for Wintec’s Team Waikato eco house.

RELOCATABLE

In this project, simplicity has been the key that has unlocked the door to sustainability in terms of time, money and flexibility. By keeping the costs down, sustainable homes become more accessible. After a long time in the planning, Team Waikato’s 30 first-year architectural technology, quantity surveying and construction management, plumbing and carpentry students built the relocatable, 60 square-metre, one-bedroom house in just five weeks. And Team Waikato’s design celebrates the fact that sustainable practices – such as reusing items to minimise waste – can be applied on any level: this building itself has the potential to be relocated as an office, bach or home if its original use is outgrown.

compact shape remained functional features of the external appearance, trapping heat and reducing thermal losses. Clever sizing and clean lines reduce the waste in offcuts. Inside, climate control is maintained efficiently by the Zephyr ventilation system. Centralising the kitchen, bathroom and toilet around the hot water cylinder was a cheap and simple way to save on heat loss from pipes. Wanting to do more to help their local community, the team decided from the outset that the eco-house would be sold and all proceeds go to Hospice Waikato. At the time of writing, ‘the Hospice House’ is on the market through Harcourt’s Real Estate for $65,000, which Trevor says is “a good deal”. Reflecting his long trade background, Trevor says he will assist the buyer to ensure the building is located appropriately, to make the most of its eco-functioning. He’ll also be recommending the addition of a rain-water tank and solar panels. “It’s been a huge challenge to pull it all together, but the team is satisfied we’ve achieved what we set out to do, thanks to all our suppliers, sponsors, tradesmen and support from Wintec. There’s no need for fancy equipment, just keep it simple.”

Trevor was a builder for 40 years, and it shows. His depth of interest in building materials shaped the project, and the eco-house is unique in design and in construction. The team worked closely with their suppliers to achieve their design brief – to use only local, renewable, recycled or recyclable materials and products. Not only that, any product processing must not be damaging to the environment. This tall order was at times challenging for the team. Trevor admits “petrochemicals are hard to avoid in some products”. But overall, the team and their suppliers found that eco-friendly materials are readily available – and most issues could be solved with a bit of lateral thinking.

SHAC FACTS

When a particular solar heat storage product was found to be too costly, wall and floor construction plans changed to suit the most eco-friendly products available, which turned out to be plantation radiata pine plywood, particle board and weather board. “Every bit of timber in the place is renewable plantation pine.” Walls were redesigned with 90mm cavities and filled with fibreglass batts (made of recycled glass and exceeding the current building insulation standard by one third). Large double-glazed and north-oriented windows and www.shac.org.nz/group/teamwaikato

14

communication • collaboration • innovation

• 60m2 relocatable house • Reusable, multi-purpose alternative to house extensions • Simple and affordable, designed for energy efficiency using eco-friendly products and materials • North oriented thermal break (double glazed), extra insulation to ceiling walls and floor • Centralised laundry, kitchen and bathroom reduce heat loss from pipes • Number of bedrooms: 1 • Number of team members: 35

www.shac.org.nz

15

NEW BUILD

Ecocrib

“feels comfortable and deep, but doesn’t require too much water and stays warm longer”.

Unitec

Jane Hakaria looked at ways of influencing more sustainable behaviour, by getting people away from their tumble dryers and back out into the garden. Her approach was to make hanging out the washing fashionable and fun, by creating a designer washing-line and funky UV-resistant pegs.

PRODUCT PLACEMENT By signing the Kyoto Design Declaration two years ago, Unitec was making a stand. Sustainability would not be a side topic in design education; rather it would underpin the entire curriculum, and become fundamental to how graduating designers approached their task of creating better tools and objects for the future. So, when Senior Lecturer in Product Design Roger Bateman discovered his colleagues in Unitec’s Architecture and Building departments were involved in the Sustainable Habitat Challenge, it only made sense to join forces. The result is Ecocrib, a sustainable living concept that encompasses not only the house design, but all its fittings and furnishings as well. “Often, product and interior designers enter homes long after the builders have packed up their tools,” comments Roger. “The beauty of working with architects meant ideas could be taken into account from the outset. If the architects suggested a wall in a certain location, it was very easy to say, ‘Let’s make it a smart wall. What kind of extra functionality could we give it?’”

All the ideas centre on the idea of making sustainability an “accessible, normal, enjoyable part of family life.” And as it turned out, the importance of affordability and financial independence was both prescient and ironic, depending on how you look at it. Sadly, Ecocrib’s ideas remain at the stage of detailed concept drawings as construction and design-prototyping relied on external sponsorship. “As the global economy took a downturn, our major sponsors withdrew, meaning we could not build the house or create the concepts,” explains Roger. “It was a huge disappointment.” However, he believes the students gained much from the experience. “There’s no doubt it generated plenty of ideas that would be very easy to mainstream in people’s lives.”

So while building staff and students focused on creating an affordable, energy efficient family home – with features so the house need never draw from the national grid – product design students contributed to the kitchen, bathroom, lighting, furniture and exterior spaces. The heart of the home focuses on a ‘living island’, “hearkening back to time when families would congregate around a kitchen fire,” says Roger. Designed by Damon Stenhouse, the island embraces the idea that food preparation is a communal, family activity. It incorporates spaces for food preparation, cooking and the sustainable disposal of waste while facilitating conversation, “and taking into account different family members can be very different heights,” says Roger.

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Hutana Design Ltd

POBOX 104258 Lincoln North Auckl t. (+64) 9 836 5474, 021 02361696

The copyright of these drawings and all parts the remain the property of Hutana Design Ltd.

SHAC FACTS

Kyle Backhouse-Smith had a Eureka moment as he considered how to create a bath that uses less water and energy, but still feels luxurious. “He started from the principle that water rises as you get in. So he explored how you could add shapes in the bath that don’t interfere with the bather.” The result is an insulated, shapely bath that

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SHAC Sheet No.

communication • collaboration • innovation

• Total sustainable living concept, from architecture through to lighting and furniture • Zero use of mains water supply • All energy generated on site • Long-lasting materials ensure home will exceed normal lifespan • Number of bedrooms: 3 • Number of team members: 40

SHAC 09 DRAWING LIST Sheet Name

UILDING CONSENT ISSUE TE PLAN OOR FRAMING PLAN RACING, PLUMBING, ELECT, MECH PLAN OOR FURNITURE, DECKING AND PERGOLA LAYOUT OOF PLANS XTERNAL ELEVATIONS PICAL SECTIONS A-A, B-B, C-C OOF AND FLOOR DETAILS ECK, PERGOLA, SEAT AND STAIR DETAILS NDOW AND DOOR DETAILS ET AREA GENERAL DETAILS TCHEN LAYOUT PLANS AND ELEVATIONS OOR SCHEDULE AND DETAILS COPE BOX SECTIONS

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UNITEC SHAC 09 SUSTAINABLE HOUSE PROJECT BUILDING CONSENT ISSUE

SHOE . STORAGE. SEAT

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Team Central Otago NEW BUILD

Sol Design, Otago Polytechnic Centre for Sustainable Practice

GRASSLANDS ‘Eco’ can have many definitions, but for the Finn whose Clyde home became the Sustainable Habitat Challenge project for Team Central Otago, ‘eco’ meant “warm, beautiful, non-toxic and with minimal impact on its surroundings”. Says designer Sarah Johnston, “Environmental consideration is at the very core of this building, in every material used and in every decision made.” The result is a straw bale home designed specifically for the arid, grassy Central Otago environment. Even the low-irrigation garden – focusing on natives and edibles – has the dry conditions in mind, while local knowledge is assured by the construction team, who hail from the communities of Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell, Queenstown, Wanaka and Geraldine.

the Finnish owner’s design brief. While many saunas are built away from the house, this sauna will be in the heart of the home as it will be an integral part of daily life.  To take advantage of the its warmth during the cold winters, one of the tilt-slab panels will be able to slowly radiate heat into the lounge on the other side of the sauna.   Another outstanding feature is the masonry stove, weighing in at a whopping 5 tonne. Using Finnish technology and expertise, the stove will be built on site, and draw upon principles used by ancient Romans to heat their great halls. “The fire reaches very high temperatures in the combustion chamber – because it is so hot, everything is incinerated so there is next to no ash or smoke and virtually no polluting emissions are created. After combustion the flue gases are directed down through a series of chambers in order for the mass to absorb all the heat from the fire.”  The stove and sauna, along with active and passive solar thermal, looks after ambient temperature and hot water, “keeping environmental emissions and use of fossil fuels to a bare minimum.”

And by using straw bales, with an incredible R-value of at least R6 for wall insulation, Sarah says “We are utilizing a non-toxic, natural, renewable and potentially polluting waste product (as straw is often burned). We will use it to create a wonderfully insulated, beautiful sanctuary.” The eschewing of nasty chemicals includes a non-toxic timber frame. “By selecting naturally durable timber species commonly grown in New Zealand, and carefully designing this home for the site, it has been possible to create a home completely free of the almost mandatory toxic timber preservatives,” explains Sarah. The entire house is plastered in an earthen blend of clay, sand and straw. While the colour remains natural inside, for the exterior a pigment will be added to a lime plaster which goes over the clay “to protect it from driving rain”. This lime plaster will absorb carbon dioxide and eventually become limestone.

SHAC FACTS

The floors will also be constructed of earth and timber, sealed with organic raw linseed oil and polished with beeswax.

• Construction challenges include 5-tonne masonry stove and sauna

Reusing and repurposing was also fundamental to the eco ethic, with salvaged materials including timber, double glazing units, carpet (replacing gib board as a plaster substrate) and sinks. Two large concrete tilt slabs – rescued from a local company, and the fate of becoming landfill – with one of them a part of the passive solar heating system, “absorbing the direct radiation from the sun during the day and assisting in warming the home during the cold Central Otago nights”.

• Many materials reused and repurposed

 Who said cold? Perhaps inevitably, a sauna featured in

• Bale-raising classes and open homes provide hands-on experiences for the community

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• High-spec straw bale house designed for Central Otago conditions

communication • collaboration • innovation

• No toxic chemicals  • Renewable energy will be used for space heating, water heating and micro hydro will eventually supply all the power needs •  Low flow water fixtures, grey water reuse, rain water harvesting • Worms will turn waste from the kitchen and toilet into compost to be used on site

• Number of bedrooms: 2 + Loft • Number of team members: approximately 50

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Tomorrow will be shaped by the hands of today… Sustainable practice is about choice. Will you choose to help create a sustainable future? Otago Polytechnic can help you. Whether you are planning to be a nurse or a construction worker, sustainable practice will be part of your job in the future. Otago Polytechnic is committed to equipping every graduate with the capabilities to contribute to a sustainable society. Our Centre for Sustainable Practice offers sustainable business programmes, courses, research and consultancy expertise to help your business reduce costs and maximise opportunities.

See more on our website: or phone:

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communication • collaboration • innovation

www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz

0800 762 786

00213 CSP 11.09

Otago Polytechnic leading in expertise and advice:

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Wall to wall Kiwi

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