What makes the Enviro series stand out from the rest? Each step of the way we have applied the key principles to creating an energy efficient, healthy and environmentally conscious home.
Design
A well designed home will be warmer, healthier, more comfortable to live in. Good design will also be kinder to the environment, and help to reduce your power, water and gas bills.
Orientation
Optimum orientation is a key element to ensure a home stays warm and comfortable all year-round, maximising solar gain to heat and breezes and shade to cool.
Passive Heating
Utilising the sun to its maximum effect is a cost effective, resourceful and environmentally friendly way to heat and maintain a comfortable temperature throughout your home.
Passive Cooling
Passive cooling keeps your home comfortable throughout warmer months without the excessive use of mechanical systems. Good design allows as much sun as possible in winter, yet shade in summer. Louvers and pergolas can be strategically placed to maximise sun or shade depending on the seasons.
Ventilation
Passive ventilation is achieved through the controlled use of windows, vents, louvres and other openings to let fresh air into and through your home. It helps remove moisture, airborne pollutants and maintain air quality in a home creating a comfortable, dry, healthy living environment. In summer, ventilation is necessary in keeping your house cool and in winter, it will let stale air out but keep warmth in.
Thermal Mass
Thermal mass is a key aspect of successful passive solar design and it can reduce total heating and cooling energy requirements by up to 25%. Thermal mass helps maintain comfortable temperatures inside your home all year round. The Enviro series uses polished concrete floors (or tiles) and stone walls to achieve thermal mass. When the weather is cool, thermal mass will absorb heat during the day and radiate it out as the temperature drops in the afternoon or evening. In hot weather, thermal mass may act as a heat sink, lowering internal temperatures and reducing cooling loads.
Energy
An efficient lighting plan has been developed specifically to work in harmony with the other features of the Enviro series. It has been designed to minimise the up front cost and maximise the long-term benefits including lower running costs.
Insulation
Insulation is essential to keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer The Enviro series not only uses wall and ceiling insulation that exceeds the code requirements, but also incorporates under-slab and perimeter slab insulation
Heating
The Enviro Series includes the option of Solar water heating to heat water for household use and underfloor heating. There are also options for heat efficient wood-burners or pellet fires that have Environmental Choice Approval.
Resource Responsibility
Traditionally, when buildings have been designed and constructed, issues such as high energy costs and water restrictions were not in existence and wastage was of little concern. The Enviro series specifies plumbing fittings, fixtures and appliances that include low flow shower heads and fittings with high star ratings from both the WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme) and Energy Star. Provisions have been made to include rain water harvesting systems and grey water systems which are a great way to recycle and reduce water consumption.
We also utilise products and finishes that are low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), for example Low VOC Paints and Carpets. We also encourage the use of timber with low toxicity levels (Douglas Fir, Cedar, Eucalyptus, etc).