This week Landcom opened its Benchmark home, the first of three Eco-Living Display Homes to be built at The Ponds in Sydney’s north-west. The progressive home is a practical demonstration of how people can live sustainably at an affordable price.
Landcom selected Clarendon Homes to construct its Eco-Living Display Homes which showcase sustainability concepts and products for the project home industry and general housing market.
Steve Driscoll, Director, Sustainability and Policy at Landcom commented, “The opening of the Benchmark home underlines Landcom’s aim to further educate the public and project home industry about measures that can be taken to build more sustainable dwellings. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of living more sustainably.”
“Landcom is constantly being approached by the building materials industry to demonstrate the latest and most relevant sustainability products. The Eco-Living Display Homes concept is the vehicle we have chosen to respond to this need. An impressive array of innovative sustainability concepts and products are now available for house purchasers and builders to choose from for incorporation into their homes.”
“The partnership with Clarendon Homes, one of Australia’s largest house builders, will result in Landcom’s sustainability initiatives reaching a wider audience. A sustainable home like Benchmark has traditionally been considered a niche product, however Landcom is highlighting that such dwellings can be mainstreamed and made accessible to everyone and most importantly, at an affordable price,” he added.
Shaila Divakarla, Design Sustainability Specialist from Clarendon Homes said, “The opportunity to build the Eco-Living Display Homes in partnership with Landcom has broadened the company’s views on how Clarendon Homes can expand the Eco-Living Homes concept throughout Australia.”
“The company is currently reviewing its most popular house packages and how it can incorporate the sustainable products and concepts into a six star package that can be taken to the national market. Clarendon Homes' entire supply chain is now also beginning to look at ways of developing and introducing more sustainable products into the housing industry as a direct result of working with us and Landcom on the Eco-Living Display Homes project. This project is already transforming the industry.”
Ms Divakarla added, “There are five key reasons that are driving people and the industry to become more aware of sustainability. These include regulation changes as the government brings in tighter sustainability regulations. Escalating energy and water price are driving people to become more environmentally conscious. The traditional family is also reducing in size, increasing the market for smaller dwellings. Finally people are living longer and exploring ways to remain in the community they know as they age.”
The Benchmark home demonstrates how attention to detail and even the simplest of details can substantially improve a home's sustainability performance. This home has been given a six star thermal performance rating. It achieves this by optimising solar orientation with living rooms facing north, good cross flow ventilation with windows on opposite sides and a sheltered outdoor clothes drying area. Further inclusions which improve the home's wider sustainability appeal are an air conditioning system with inverter technology, eco bricks, modwood decking (a recycled plastic and timber product), a rainwater tank (in addition to the recycled water supplied to the home from the area's water mains) and waste sorter bins.
Landcom is funding the Eco-Living Display Homes project. The other two homes, Greencycle and Net-Zero, which will stretch industry and consumer thinking on sustainability, are expected to be completed prior to Christmas.
The Greencycle home will feature building materials and products that are environmentally friendly, have a high recycled content and are capable of being recycled at the end of their life.
The Net-Zero emissions home will challenge the way the industry thinks about homes. It will be smaller and smarter and showcase leading-edge design and technologies to create net zero emissions and a net zero emissions water home.
For further information visit: www.ecolivingdisplayhomes.com.au
Media contact: Natasha McGuire, Red Leopard PR, Phone: 02 9328 4248 or 04000 90553.
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