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6 Popular Eco-Friendly Homes of 2015
We look back at six of the most clicked-on eco-friendly homes of the year, to show how sensitive design can create beautiful homes
Climate change is upon us, but designing a home with a small environmental footprint is one way we can help to slow it down. It’s also a great and rewarding way to build for the future, as many members of our community have already discovered. Houzz has had some amazing eco-friendly design projects uploaded to the site, and these prove that saving the planet can also produce impressive results in architecture. Here are six of the most popular eco-friendly homes of 2015.
The home is also designed to be naturally warmer in winter and cooler in summer. This is done by means of a recycled brick veneer wall in the living area, and clever insulation. The polished concrete floors also help to regulate the interior temperatures, which ultimately means the home has a smaller impact on the environment.
One of the coolest design elements of this sustainable home is the ‘earth tube cooling system’. Located beneath the back lawn, the tube uses energy-efficient fans to draw the warm air out of the home and underground where temperatures are lower. There it cools the air down, before returning it back to the home.
Find out more about this home
One of the coolest design elements of this sustainable home is the ‘earth tube cooling system’. Located beneath the back lawn, the tube uses energy-efficient fans to draw the warm air out of the home and underground where temperatures are lower. There it cools the air down, before returning it back to the home.
Find out more about this home
2. L-shaped home uses resourceful recycling
Architect Ande Bunbury was tasked with transforming a series of ramshackle sheds at the rear of an old Victorian terrace into the perfect living space for a young family. The homeowners were adamant that the architect use as many recycled and sustainable materials as possible in the build. From the rusted, corrugated metal wall, which was left in place as a nod to the home’s past, to the recycled timber used inside for the stair treads and balustrade, many of the home’s features were recycled – tossing things away was not an option.
Architect Ande Bunbury was tasked with transforming a series of ramshackle sheds at the rear of an old Victorian terrace into the perfect living space for a young family. The homeowners were adamant that the architect use as many recycled and sustainable materials as possible in the build. From the rusted, corrugated metal wall, which was left in place as a nod to the home’s past, to the recycled timber used inside for the stair treads and balustrade, many of the home’s features were recycled – tossing things away was not an option.
It was also requested that eco-sensitive materials were used in the building process. Some of these include low-VOC paints and sealants featured throughout the property, as well as all joinery being built out of E0 low formaldehyde-emission MDF.
Read more about this sustainable build
Read more about this sustainable build
3. Small home goes green from top to bottom
Emilio Fuscaldo, founder of Nest Architects, and his partner Anna Krien, built this four-bedroom home at just 80 square metres, and made it sustainable from the ground up. “The house is not expansive,” says Fuscaldo, “but it does demonstrate the capacity of a small space to become a functioning, private and generous home.”
One of the standout features is the home’s green roof, which not only provides neighbours in taller buildings with a nice view, but also helps with natural drainage when it rains, provides the home with insulation, and helps to lower urban air temperatures.
Emilio Fuscaldo, founder of Nest Architects, and his partner Anna Krien, built this four-bedroom home at just 80 square metres, and made it sustainable from the ground up. “The house is not expansive,” says Fuscaldo, “but it does demonstrate the capacity of a small space to become a functioning, private and generous home.”
One of the standout features is the home’s green roof, which not only provides neighbours in taller buildings with a nice view, but also helps with natural drainage when it rains, provides the home with insulation, and helps to lower urban air temperatures.
Fuscaldo took on a lot of the building himself to save on costs. Inside, the home is an open layout, with only two doors connecting the four rooms. Clever techniques were used to divide the main rooms, including the addition of a large bookshelf to separate the living area and main bedroom.
Step inside the rest of this home
Step inside the rest of this home
4. Bringing a family together at home
“Sustainability and affordability were key drivers, as well as a desire to maintain and enhance the beauty of the site,” says architect Adam Dettrick. The clients in this case wanted their 6.7-star-rated, energy-efficient home to be a place where their family could spend time together, but also have their privacy when needed. Despite working with a tight budget, the home turned out exactly how they envisaged it.
“Sustainability and affordability were key drivers, as well as a desire to maintain and enhance the beauty of the site,” says architect Adam Dettrick. The clients in this case wanted their 6.7-star-rated, energy-efficient home to be a place where their family could spend time together, but also have their privacy when needed. Despite working with a tight budget, the home turned out exactly how they envisaged it.
Having the windows facing the north means that the home capitalises on the winter sun during the colder months, while large sliding stacker doors also work to keep the heat in. Glazing is used to provide natural light without unwanted heat gain or loss.
Tour the rest of this home
Tour the rest of this home
5. Small, smart and energy-efficient forever home
Living near their kids and the natural world were at the forefront of this retired couple’s location preferences. They found both in Forde, ACT, and approached Jigsaw Housing to help them build a modular home that was at one with nature. The home has a 7.9-star energy efficiency rating and features clever, environmentally friendly design that also look great.
Living near their kids and the natural world were at the forefront of this retired couple’s location preferences. They found both in Forde, ACT, and approached Jigsaw Housing to help them build a modular home that was at one with nature. The home has a 7.9-star energy efficiency rating and features clever, environmentally friendly design that also look great.
The open-plan living space feels large, with light flowing through the well-placed windows. In winter, electric heating panels on the walls add to the warmth captured by the insulated concrete floors.
Take a look inside the rest of this home
Take a look inside the rest of this home
6. Keeping up with the neighbours
The residents of Spoonbill Street in Peregian Beach, Queensland, are involved in the local council’s Living Smart Homes program, and they all have one common goal: to protect the environment. The owners of this particular property asked Bark Design Architects to build a family home that blended into its surrounding natural environment. The result is a timber design, which fits in perfectly with the community’s eco-friendly ethos.
The residents of Spoonbill Street in Peregian Beach, Queensland, are involved in the local council’s Living Smart Homes program, and they all have one common goal: to protect the environment. The owners of this particular property asked Bark Design Architects to build a family home that blended into its surrounding natural environment. The result is a timber design, which fits in perfectly with the community’s eco-friendly ethos.
The double-height living room was one of the Houzz community’s favourite photos of the project. The timber cladding, which features throughout the home, ties this space in with the surrounding bushland. Meanwhile, the polished concrete floor embedded with fly ash – a waste product of coal-fired power plants that makes the production of concrete more energy efficient – absorbs and stores the warmth of the winter sun, and gives the illusion of a sand-scattered surface.
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TELL US
Which 2015 eco-friendly home is your favourite? Let us know in the Comments section.
MORE
Greening Your Home: 10 Ways to Create an Eco-Friendly Workspace
Eco-Friendly Kids: Inspire Your Children With the Wonders of Nature
11 Smart Ways to Go Greener Through Design
Explore the rest of this home
TELL US
Which 2015 eco-friendly home is your favourite? Let us know in the Comments section.
MORE
Greening Your Home: 10 Ways to Create an Eco-Friendly Workspace
Eco-Friendly Kids: Inspire Your Children With the Wonders of Nature
11 Smart Ways to Go Greener Through Design
This home, named Solar Sollew by building design firm Positive Footprints, considers all three pillars of architectural sustainability; it is economical, environmentally friendly and also inclusive of the wider community. Of the many interesting concepts incorporated into the design of the home, one stands out – the designers embraced the current trend of building homes that accommodate multi-generational families. In Solar Sollew, two grandparents, two parents and two young children all live together.
Many hidden elements in the home’s design demonstrate its sustainability. For example, the slight slope in the path leading up to the front door makes it wheelchair accessible. In fact, the floor plan is designed to make every room in the house accessible by wheelchair.