Walking the talk

Physical site footprint:

• 183m2 hard sealed land area footprint over available 476m2 (38%) – includes single concrete driveway and 20m2 of paving for clothesline and as base for water tanks
• Additional car space and all foot paths using crushed limestone –
  • complemented by broadly spaced natural stone steppers as part of nature play principles
    • to allow ground water replenishment
    • to allow additional vegetation to be planted once crushed limestone settled i.e. along footpaths and on driveways
• No additional treatment of existing land under raised decking on north and west.
• 18m2 of Sir Walter Buffulo grass encased in FormBoss®
• Recycled spotted gum timber for east/south cladding
• Recycled spotted gum timber for all decking and external balustrade handrails
• Rapidly renewable bamboo installed for first floor cover

Habitat connection:

• Existing active mature trees maintained on property through demolition – 2 x WA Red Wattle located on west and east
• No mono-culture – over 55 different varieties of mature native/water tolerant trees, shrubs and seedlings planted – refer to mature tree register.
• Introduced trees, shrubs and plants selected to attract wildlife nesting, nutrient and activity at multiple layers across land-area connecting north, south, east and west.
• All trees checked against and planted in accordance with:
  • Department of Agriculture and Food – Harmful garden plants in Western Australia, 2009
  • Water Corporation – Protect your home, select the right tree, 2010
  • Water Corporation – Popular Garden Designs for Perth and the South West, 2016
• Awaiting Water Corporation – Water for pipes project over Sep-Nov 2017 to be completed before completing native planting on 25m2 verge.

Climate:

• No artificial air-conditioning or heating contributing to the ‘heat island effect’
• Crushed limestone driveways and footpaths to reduce ground level heat absorption and radiance into building and onto landscaping
• Total climates (see indoor air quality for indoor climate):
  • Perth metro climate – temperate (category 5)
  • Total ground floor roof space planted 25m2
  • Living roof trees to 5m – planted/supported in corten steel planter boxes to withstand wind and supply sufficient nutrient/drainage
  • Living roof shrubs, plants and seedlings level with first floor
  • Ground floor trees to 10m
  • Ground floor trees, shrubs, plants to 3m
  • Raised vegetable garden beds at different layers surrounded by fruit trees and other edibles
  • Ground cover – combination of Bentonite, native and specialist mature tree soil conditioner and potting mixes, 100+mm coverage of eco-mulch.

Weather:

• Building designed to withstand greater than 1 in 100 year storm – upgraded from engineer and building standard N1 to N2 rating to handle 33metres/second wind due to elevated building terrain (47m above sea level)

Food production:

• 4 x 1500mm (long), 800mm (wide) raised vegetable beds installed using vegetable mix soil conditioner
• 3 x layers of vegetables/edibles planted – ground, 0.5m high, 800mm high
• Fruit trees planted include: Lemon, Blueberry, Mulberry (white), grapefruit, kiwi-berry, mandarin, native plum

Waste:

• No composite material installed due to the nature of mixing organic and synthetic materials so it can neither be recycled or re-used i.e. ultimate destination is landfill
• Everything except the concrete slab is design for disassembly, renovation, organic breakdown i.e. recycled timber
• 97% of existing 50’s dwelling on site not suitable for renovation either recycled or reused.
• Composting system for organic waste – fruits, vegetables

Indoor air quality:

• Combination of 20 internal trees and plants
• Natural lighting and air flow ventilation – solar passive design and insulation/glazing avoiding artificial heating and cooling
• Limited and/or reduced use of PVC’s and Volatile Organic Compounds in all adhesives, joinery and paints

Primary partner:

• StepBeyond Business Advisors:
  • Construction materials research and lifecycle/footprint analysis
  • Landscape / rainwater / Irrigation / greywater design
  • Procurement and Project management

Other eco-partners:

• Solar Dwellings – Solar Passive design and air flow
• NuLook Homes and Paramount Design – building contract living roof structure
• Lalli and Associates – Engineering
• Water Installations – Rainwater/Greywater design, support, installation and certification with Town of Cambridge
• Suburban Farmer – Vegetable garden beds, eco-mulch
• Green Life Soils – Bentonite and native potting mix, eco-mulch
• Painters – Northerly Painting Services & Artisan Painting Services
• Greenearth Enterprises – Formboss and Corten steel planters
• Soils ain’t soils – crushed limestone and eco-mulch
• Ellenby Tree Farm – mature trees and ultimate landscape soil mix
• Apace Nursury, Landsdale plants – small trees, shrubs, seedlings, compost