There are dozens of display houses across Brisbane but none quite like the ‘Enviro-Cottage' that's about to be constructed in Spring Hill.
This home, built as a worker's cottage in the late 1800's when the word ‘greenhouse' meant a place to grow plants, will be renovated and given a new lease of life. During 2008, we can all watch its transformation from traditional Brisbane cottage into a beacon of sustainable development and inner-city living.
Unlike other display homes, the "Enviro-Cottage" isn't a new, purpose-built house. Instead, it is a renovation project that seeks to highlight the simple, the technological and the necessary ways to help make a home use less electricity, water and other resources, while improving how people live in the available space.
The aim is to inspire us all to do our bit for the environment when we renovate our house, or even just shop for a new appliance.
You will be inspired and energised.Follow the building progress at www.envirocottage.com.au and have your sustainable building questions answered on ourbrisbane.com. Take notes and inspiration as the old cottage, on a narrow city block, becomes a modern family home with the ability to generate its own electricity, collect all water on site, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make a more comfortable living environment using considered architectural principles and good design.
Some of the ideas are very simple and easy to use in any home that wants to reduce its environmental footprint. By the time the "Enviro-Cottage" opens its doors to the public, hopefully the terms ‘passive design', ‘thermal mass' and ‘solar orientation' will have meaning to every homeowner.
Other sustainable ideas from the "Enviro-Cottage" will take us on a trip to the future, with the latest solar cell technology, water tank and grey water systems, glass technology, kitchen and laundry appliances, taps and showers, insulation, flooring, paints and other finishes, heating and cooling systems, and energy efficient lighting leading the way. You will be inspired and energised in all aspects.
The home's developer Pro Tem and their architect, Steendyk, wants to improve our understanding of how we can all make minor changes to our houses to make them more sustainable, more comfortable and more affordable to live in, now and for years to come.
So stay tuned to see the beauty and logic of a sustainable home come to fruition in Spring Hill.
