Next term my kids are looking at sustainable living and energy efficient houses. Once they have learned about all the government rebate schemes, energy efficiency, how to draw a house plan (legend, door, windows, different pattern meaning concrete slab or wooden floors etc)....

They then have to design their own energy efficient and sustainable house. I will be providing them with all the info required, and already have some foam etc, and brochures...

BUT.... Any chance any of you can get your hands on small offcuts of insulation bats, old house plans, aircon ducts... anything that could he helpful for my kids to physically SEE how thick foam is, the particles, how reflective a surface is, etc. !?
The kids and I would be more than rapt!

I've exhausted the ideas I had today...
I've been to the Home Ideas Center to get brochures on sustainable living, energy efficient household items, etc.

Been to BSA to get some info. on current government rebate schemes i.e hot water tank, solar energy, insulation etc.

I've also been to reverse garbage and bought some foam, cork, insulation foam, a tiny amount of aircon duct etc.

I've also been to an Architect and have my hands on a plan and elevation of a two story house for the kids to look at how they are done.

Go to Bunnings and pick up leaflets from the DIY section. They have heaps of info, material dimensions etc. Never know they may have samples etc you can have if you explain what you want it for.

What a great idea Liz.
Take a look at www.yourhome.gov.au/
Their technical manual is the best document that I've seen for explaining the fundamentals of energy efficient buildings.

Cheers Tobes. That's a great website-very detailed. I added to the website I have for the kids on 'The learning Place'.

oOO Ocean... I skipped passed the DIY stuff you linked, and I found exactly what I wanted too! =]

www.bunnings.com.au/about-us/sustainability Cheers

i can help out liz,

i have drawings that may provide good examples,

the my home website as tobes suggested is a winner. the technical pages are outstanding.

Wineman said...

>>>>>

Great stuff, Decrep.
Can you give us a summary (perhaps under another thread so we don't hijack Liz's great work)

No worries, but a summary of what?
Our experiences or the basic design principles?

What do you say Liz, keep it in this thread or start a new one??

OK, basic principles for the Southern hemisphere, (I've heard somebody here followed instructions for America, and wondered why their house didn't work)

Firstly Winter sun is in the North, so align the house to the compass, with the main living rooms to the North.
In Perth the Winter (shortest day)sun at midday gets to 30deg above the horizon, so it's easy to get lots of sun in thru North facing windows. In summer (longest day)the sun is at 80deg, so it doesn't take very big eaves to keep all the sun out of North facing windows. However East and West windows can let a lot of sun in, so they should be kept to a minimum, and hopefully have some means of shading them, (deciduous trees, shutters etc.).

Good flow thru night time ventilation gets rid of summer heat. Face southern windows into the seabreeze, (hopefully you get one), and allow it to exit after flowing thru the house.

Of course plenty of insulation keeps the heat in in Winter and out in Summer.
In Perth the ground temp at 1m down is 21deg year round, so good thermal contact between the house and the ground is a big plus. Concrete floors with some sort of tiling, carpets feel warmer on your feet but the house is actually warmer without them.
Thermal mass helps even out the house's temperature, soaks up the heat from the sun in winter and releases it at night. Cool it down Summer nights and it delays the house heating up during the day.
Reverse brickveneer is effective, bricks on the inside add internal mass, and plenty of insulation can go in the cavity.


We have no other form of heating or cooling, (Dot bakes a cake on cold days). Lowest overnight temp in the last 10 years is 16.5deg, when it was 5deg outside. By early morning the house was back up to 18deg.
Highest temp was 31.5 after a weeks heat wave and it was 41deg outside. A bedroom fan is sufficient for a good nights sleep in these conditions.

Lowest winter monthly average is about 20 deg highest monthly summer average is about 26.

In colder climes, where ground temp is much lower, floor insulation would be better. Double glazing also becomes cost effective.

liz,
there's a company called allsafe that specalize ininsulation and other energy efficient stuff like heat pumps etc.
also there are some specialist solar companies if you google solar

i love vanacular architecture but i am not so sure the qld'er is a good example of passive design for the brisbane region,

unfortunately they have poor cross ventilation, no overhangs and fail when it comes to heat retention.

quality architects will deliver projects that have a passive nature without it even being the brief.

for images of quality architecture you could look at.

http://www.jma-arch.com/home.html
www.donovanhill.com.au/mainmenu.htm
www.richardkirkarchitect.com/
budbranniganarchitects.com.au/
www.arkhefield.com.au/
www.gabrielpoole.com.au/
www.owenandvokes.com/flash_content/index.html

to name a few.

p.s. will email drawings tonight.

myusernam said...
I think they take the designs too for. I once inspected a house in darwin that was on the banks of a mangrove creek that had no insect screens or doors (not to mention aircon). didn't even have a door on the dunny.

Sounds like lack of design myusername. Minimalism gone nuts! No dunny door, what are you gonna slam when you got the sh%*@

myusernam said...

What do you guys in the game think of troppo? they do some nice looking stuff but sometimes I think they take the designs too for. I once inspected a house in darwin that was on the banks of a mangrove creek that had no insect screens or doors (not to mention aircon). didn't even have a door on the dunny.

i don't mind their work,

it's hard to say why there were no doors or screens. could have been a lot of reasons why.

maybe client driven, builder driven, budget driven, designer driven???

could also have be an attempt to experience the environment?

i'd prefer the screens myself but without knowing the brief or process it's hard to say.

Gestalt said...

myusernam said...

What do you guys in the game think of troppo? they do some nice looking stuff but sometimes I think they take the designs too for. I once inspected a house in darwin that was on the banks of a mangrove creek that had no insect screens or doors (not to mention aircon). didn't even have a door on the dunny.

i don't mind their work,

it's hard to say why there were no doors or screens. could have been a lot of reasons why.

maybe client driven, builder driven, budget driven, designer driven???

could also have be an attempt to experience the environment?

i'd prefer the screens myself but without knowing the brief or process it's hard to say.

i think it's their design philosphy - no aircon no screens. heaps of shutters and old skool panel openings etc. got some merit but not on the bank of a sandfly infested creek...

liz there's also an eco development in the gold coast hinterland that you may be able to get some info from. they have heaps of covenants on the house being eco friendly. there was a doco about it on the abc. FIELD TRIP!!!

Justin,
Thank you- I did receive your reply and have them on A3 paper on cardboard and in the class; they are so interested about all of it!

Thank you ALL for the information you've given me! The BSA have actually sent our some more information and brochures on Sustainable Living which has been excellend too!

We are having 'Reverse Garbage' and possibly CSIRO Scientist come out to our school, so an excursion won't be on the cards. We have just under 150 Year 6's! lol... So the cost of 3 buses outweigh what parents could pay etc.

I am still yet to collect some materials from some of you, but thank you all for the information, advice and materials you've given me! Apologies with the late reply, but planning, a hens night and sports day has left me with little time to look on here! I will contact you all soon! Thank you again SOOO MUCH!!!

Cisco,

try this website on for some really good and intersting stuff from CSIRO.

http://www.det.csiro.au/energycentre/
- J