Sustainable Homes
Architecture
Future-Proofing: The New Components for a Disaster-Resilient Home
Bushfires, floods and cyclones are a reality in Australia. A new project identifies ways to future-proof your home
As climate change causes more frequent extreme weather events – think the bushfires of 2020, the east-coast floods of 2021 – in addition to the cyclones that regularly threaten north-western Australia and north-eastern Queensland, a new project aims to specify how to build and renovate homes that are more resilient to natural disasters.
CSIRO testing
The 1/4-scale house was constructed and subjected to a series of simulations in dedicated facilities. “Testing was a key part of the process. At our Cyclone Testing Station in Townsville, Queensland, and the CSIRO-operated Bushfire Burnover Facility in Southern NSW (as pictured), we subjected specific features to a series of tests to understand what aspects of the house would fail or resist particular fire, cyclone and flood impacts,” says Dr David Henderson, chief research engineer and director of the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University.
The 1/4-scale house was constructed and subjected to a series of simulations in dedicated facilities. “Testing was a key part of the process. At our Cyclone Testing Station in Townsville, Queensland, and the CSIRO-operated Bushfire Burnover Facility in Southern NSW (as pictured), we subjected specific features to a series of tests to understand what aspects of the house would fail or resist particular fire, cyclone and flood impacts,” says Dr David Henderson, chief research engineer and director of the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University.
A bushfire-resilience test on a One House prototype measured the impacts at different burnover levels using specialised simulated bushfire flame fronts.
The testing enabled the team of scientists, architects and environmental experts to identify specific design principles and materials that make a home more resilient to the damage caused by natural disasters. The house, designed by Room 11 Architects, was also designed to meet liveability, safety and low-maintenance standards.
Research leader of bushfire adaptation at CSIRO, Justin Leonard, has spent decades analysing the impact of fire on buildings. “What we’ve seen over many years is our housing is poorly suited to fire and burns down for minor reasons,” he says. “Fire finds minor ways to get in and it’s the furniture that burns over many hours. It’s not about a house being unscathed; it’s about having a place to live after a fire – that’s the definition of resilience.”
Building or renovating? Find an architect near you on Houzz to future-proof your home from natural disasters
The testing enabled the team of scientists, architects and environmental experts to identify specific design principles and materials that make a home more resilient to the damage caused by natural disasters. The house, designed by Room 11 Architects, was also designed to meet liveability, safety and low-maintenance standards.
Research leader of bushfire adaptation at CSIRO, Justin Leonard, has spent decades analysing the impact of fire on buildings. “What we’ve seen over many years is our housing is poorly suited to fire and burns down for minor reasons,” he says. “Fire finds minor ways to get in and it’s the furniture that burns over many hours. It’s not about a house being unscathed; it’s about having a place to live after a fire – that’s the definition of resilience.”
Building or renovating? Find an architect near you on Houzz to future-proof your home from natural disasters
A water ingress test highlights the vulnerable aspects of standard windows and doors in the event of wind-driven rain.
For Australians planning on building a new home, the project identified features that will help guard against extreme weather. These include:
For Australians planning on building a new home, the project identified features that will help guard against extreme weather. These include:
- Installing electrical wiring in the roof to prevent loss of power during a flood event.
- Installing power points and switches at least one metre above floor level to reduce the risk of electrical issues during flooding.
- Using internal wall linings that are waterproof. This project used a fibre-cement sheeting system with vertical battens covering the joints – this system would allow occupants to remove and reuse it after the cavity has been cleaned and dried.
- Constructing external finishes from strong, non-combustible materials including core-filled block and aerated autoclaved concrete cladding.
One House glazing
- Ensuring glazed elements are fitted into a frame designed to keep embers out while evenly distributing heat across the building. This can prevent window cracking, which occurs when glass heats at different rates in a bushfire.
- Glazed windows and doors also assist in the event of a cyclone – helping to prevent water from entering the home.
- Installing bi-fold mesh screens or a similar product around balconies, which can be left open or closed to provide an additional envelope that helps reduce heat load during a bushfire. This also helps protect homes from damage caused by wind-driven debris during storms.
A wind-driven debris test and a roof-section pressure test simulates the effects of cyclonic wind.
- Using waterproof and easy-to-clean flooring such as concrete, tiles and pavers.
- Utilising ceiling space to store services such as air conditioning, batteries and hot-water systems.
- Using roof material that has a lower thermal conductivity than traditional roofing materials will reduce the head load during a fire – in this project stainless steel was used. It’s also worth considering an uncoated finish, as paint can blister and burn in a fire.
One House
For homeowners who want to increase the resilience of their existing home, the project identified some simple, low-cost yet high-impact measures including:
For homeowners who want to increase the resilience of their existing home, the project identified some simple, low-cost yet high-impact measures including:
- Installing fixed and operable mesh screens to slow down flame spread during a bushfire.
- Installing a dual-tank system consisting of two galvanised water tanks. One for firefighting so if the home is ever disconnected from its main water source, occupants still could extinguish flames on-site. The second tank would be a dedicated back-up water supply, ensuring occupants always have potable water.
A view into the internal structure of One House
- Using PVC plastic gutter fixings. In the event of a fire, these fixings melt and the gutters become ‘sacrificial’ and safely fall away from the house. This helps protect the home from embers and reduces the likelihood of embers entering the back-up water supply, protecting its quality.
- Integrating protective outdoor storage: in high-wind weather events such as storms or cyclones, anything around a home can become flying debris. To combat this, consider including an outdoor storage area with core-filled block perimeter walls. This allows occupants to secure items around their home prior to a high-wind event to minimise flying debris.
- Ensuring household appliances are freestanding rather than integrated into the interior, to let occupants remove or raise appliances off the floor prior to a floor or expected inundation event.
- Consider cyclone-rated roof fixings, which are less likely to fail during extreme events with strong winds. The One House roof frame utilises a tie-down system to the concrete slab that eliminates the risk of a ‘flying roof’ during a severe wind event.
- For high-set homes, consider air-pressure relief on the lower level or sub-floor to avoid high-pressure pockets that lead to structural failures.
One House as seen from the side
The research reveals measures homeowners can take to strengthen their homes against natural disasters. “We know not everyone can replicate our prototype. We hope that Australians – whether building a new house, planning a reno or thinking about ways to add value to their existing home, can take away practical ideas from our research,” says Lisa Harrison, Suncorp’s CEO insurance product and portfolio.
The project also aims to generate a conversation about reviewing building standards as the severity and frequency of extreme weather events increases.
Building standards are regulated by states and territories, however these governments subscribe to the value of nationally consistent building codes through the National Construction Code (NCC). This code, among other things, establishes minimum standards for the design and construction of new buildings on bushfire-prone land. What land is deemed ‘bushfire prone’ is defined by state and territory legislation.
However, the NCC’s primary purpose is to ensure the occupants’ health and safety. Property protection (resilience) is not – as yet – directly considered.
Your turn
Would you consider adding some of these safety measures to your home? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Read a heartwarming story of how one family managed after a natural disaster in The Great Escape: Family Rebuilds After a Devastating Bushfire
The research reveals measures homeowners can take to strengthen their homes against natural disasters. “We know not everyone can replicate our prototype. We hope that Australians – whether building a new house, planning a reno or thinking about ways to add value to their existing home, can take away practical ideas from our research,” says Lisa Harrison, Suncorp’s CEO insurance product and portfolio.
The project also aims to generate a conversation about reviewing building standards as the severity and frequency of extreme weather events increases.
Building standards are regulated by states and territories, however these governments subscribe to the value of nationally consistent building codes through the National Construction Code (NCC). This code, among other things, establishes minimum standards for the design and construction of new buildings on bushfire-prone land. What land is deemed ‘bushfire prone’ is defined by state and territory legislation.
However, the NCC’s primary purpose is to ensure the occupants’ health and safety. Property protection (resilience) is not – as yet – directly considered.
Your turn
Would you consider adding some of these safety measures to your home? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Read a heartwarming story of how one family managed after a natural disaster in The Great Escape: Family Rebuilds After a Devastating Bushfire
One House, a joint initiative between Suncorp, the CSIRO, James Cook University and architects at Room 11, undertook the task of building a prototype house – based on a traditional Queenslander – with natural disaster-resilient features, at a price comparable to a standard architect-designed home.