12 October 2019
The most successful structures are achieved when design, materials and building techniques align with local climate and the values of the people who live there.
This module is ideal for participants wanting to learn how to design sustainable, safe, healthy and comfortable living environments.
Sensible houses – heat themselves, light themselves, are not toxic, materials can be replaced easily and don’t cost a lifetime of debt. We’ll introduce you to: matching house design with your site, climate and available resources. Explore conventional building vs. earth building vs. sustainable building, retrofitting vs. new builds; container and tiny homes; making decisions regarding building longevity, low impact construction, footprint, orientation, passive solar design and energy conservation. We’ll discuss: indoor air quality, heating, cooling, and insulation choices, windows, flooring, electricity and how your home interfaces with your wider community. We’ll also discuss how you can use the residential Homestar Scheme to assess how well your design is performing and obtain an independent rating to prove the environmental value you have designed into your home.
For our afternoon field trip, however we’ll visit a couple of properties. One is an award winning home designed by the tutor 20 years ago and the other is a tiny home. We’ll explore how permaculture principles were integrated into the designs. We’ll also see how the homes relate to the people who live there, the site, the gardens and orchards.
Tutors: Andrew Stephenson
Register for this course
Download the overview for the 2018-19 program
Renewable Energy and Alternate Technologies →
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Feedback
“My partner and I have been stuck trying to decide if we should buy bare land and do a new build, or renovate our current suburban home. After our Holistic Decision Making session last month, we see that renovating will line up better with our lives, goals, and budget. And this month asking Nik our “eco” renovation questions has got us lined up to get into action.”
“It was good that the presenters and hosts were passionate about their topics and their homes, and were willing to share their experiences, good and bad.”
“I learned something about myself today. When we were outside and just observing the areas without getting into the details, it is so easy to get right into the details, “Oh, I could put a bench here.” And then I had to stop myself – “We’re not doing that yet.” I so often had to pull myself out of the detail!”
