This home was designed to be built after the Black Saturday fires. Emphasis was on provision of a dwelling that could provide practical protection in this highly bushfire prone area utilising an alternate solution and Rammed Earth walls which have a 4 hours fire rating.
The dwelling combines the sustainability and beauty of Rammed Earth and light-weight clad BlueScope Colorbond walls.
It is a home that is designed for energy efficiency and comfort, incorporating low maintenance features such as thermally improved aluminium double glazed, Low-E Argon Gas windows and a corrugated Colorbond ceiling.
The home, designed and built by Eco Sustainable Homes won the Master Builder’s Best Custom Built Home in its price range, as well as also featuring as a finalist in the Best Sustainable Energy Home.
The MBAV awards are judged on three criteria: the home must show excellent value for money, it must show outstanding quality in building, and there must be a strong and productive relationship between builder and client.
In the citation accompanying the awards, the MBAV says that:
“The home exhibits natural earthy tones while delivering on comfort and energy-efficient solar-passive design. It incorporates excellent cross flow ventilation, high internal mass, beauty and sustainability.
It has unique features significant to providing protection in this highly bushfire-prone area, such as the radiant heat shield walls, specially designed eaves, and fire retardant plants.”
Innovative features designed specifically for bushfire protection for this home were:
- Courtyard radiant heat shield walls
- Parapet rammed earth walls to deflect radiant heat
- Earth berm to be planted with fire retardant plants
- Ridge less roof, utilising self-curving zincalume 0.6mm bmt corrugated sheet roofing
- Management of allotment to a park-like state to reduce fuel in the event of a bush fire.
Resources
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Rammed Earth feature walls