In particular a Balance Home features:
Orientation: A northerly aspect with glazing located to allow passive heating in winter and limit thermal incursion in summer.
Materials: Materials with a low-embodied energy such as corrugated iron, Hebel power panel and recycled timbers.
Thermal Mass: A concrete raft slab and strategically-located, solid plastered concrete brick walls inside the home provide extra thermal mass.
Insulation: The roof and ceiling has a 50mm building blanket, air space and R4 ceiling batts – total insulation rating R5.5. The corrugated iron walls feature Air Cell, an air space and batts – total insulation rating R4.7.
Cross Ventilation: An east-west axis allows most of the house to have north-facing windows. Highlight windows on the north side and low opening awning windows on the south side, along with a pitched ceiling, encourages cross ventilation.
Glazing: 6.38mm Comfort Plus glazing reduces the transfer of heat into the home in summer, while in winter the laminate coating provides thermal insulation – retaining over one-third more heat than standard glass.
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Window Canopies: Custom-built canopies provide shading in summer and allow winter sun to enter the home.
Plumbed Rainwater: A 22,500 litre rainwater tank is plumbed to the home.
Roof Design: Appropriately sized eaves shade the dwelling in summer, while encouraging winter sun access to the home. An architecturally-designed butterfly-shaped, corrugated iron roof allows for clean rain-water collection and optimises opportunity for solar panel installation.
Water-Saving fixtures: The house features 4A-water rated toilets (these feature a 4.5/3L dual flush cistern), and water-saving tapware.
Energy Efficient Lighting: Mini compact fluorescent downlights are installed as an alternative to high-energy-consuming halogen globes.
Heating/Cooling: The home’s superior insulation, ceiling fans and passive solar design reduce the need for supplementary heating and cooling, hence minimising energy costs without compromising comfort.
Solar Hot Water: Contemporary split units ensure neat roof lines, while storage tanks are cleverly concealed.
Indoor/Outdoor Living: Outdoor areas provide alternative living spaces to suit different seasons. The second living area provides internal flexibility with features such as sliding doors to segregate the home to assist privacy, heating & cooling.
Environmentally-friendly Paint: Interior surfaces are coated with low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paint. |
