When designing a healthy eco home it is also important to consider the amount of waste consumed during the building process.

Our design team at Bush & Beach is up to date with the latest innovative materials available in the market place and will assist you to look at ways of reducing, re-using and recycling materials.

Building a home that is specifically designed for your needs will reduce the amount of building materials required and also save you a few dollars, while materials that can be re-used and or re-cycled can also lower waste and cost.

Some examples of building materials that CAN BE RECYCLED are listed below.

Although most building materials can be recycled these are some of the more common ones:

• Steel
• Aluminium
• Timber
• Glass
• Plastics

Contact us today to speak to a consultant about how we can build your dream eco home.
Free call 1300 612 080 or click here to enquire

Sustainable healthy passive cooling techniques should be incorporated into an eco home to maximize the efficiency of the home by reducing heat gain from the external environment.

In order to achieve a sustainable healthy passive cooling design it is suggested and recommended that the following items should be addressed to improve the energy efficiency of the home, thus improving the quality of lifestyle for the home owners while also reducing energy costs:

• Location of building envelope on the site to minimize earthworks i.e. large site cuts can reduce airflow
• Orientation of the home to maximize prevailing breezes
• Design, size, and position of windows to catch prevailing cool breezes and improve ventilation
• Design open plan living to increase natural airflow
• Install ceiling fans to circulate air
• Avoid extensive glazing on east and west orientated walls
• Landscaping within the building envelope to provide shaded and protected areas
• Good passive design techniques incorporated into the overall plan including insulation, thermal mass, glazing selection, shading etc

With good passive design techniques our in house drafting and design team at Bush & Beach have all the experience to assist you achieve a home that is not only affordable but comfortable to live in all year round.

Contact us today to speak to a consultant about how we can build your dream GreenSmart home.
Free call 1300 612 080 or click here to enquire

Thermal mass refers to the capacity of a material to store heat. High density materials such as concrete, rammed earth, bricks and tiles have a high thermal mass, which allows them to absorb heat, unlike timber which has a low thermal mass. Therefore when designing your Bush & Beach eco home consider the benefits of using thermal mass to help improve the comfort levels in the home and also reduce your energy costs.

The  building industry is currently focused on improving the energy efficiency and R value (measure of thermal resistance) in new homes therefore it is very important to embrace the positive influence of thermal mass used in conjunction with passive design techniques.

To be effective, thermal mass must be integrated with good passive design techniques including the correct balance of glazing, orientation, shading, insulation etc. The result of poor design techniques and the incorrect use of thermal mass materials can result in a very hot home in summer and cold in the winter.

Thermal mass is generally best used in climates where there is a big difference between day and night outdoor temperatures.

Our design team at Bush & Beach and in house Greensmart Professional welcome the opportunity in talking with you about how to maximize the opportunities to use good passive design techniques on your individual site and within your house design.

Contact us today to speak to a consultant about how we can build your dream GreenSmart home.
Free call 1300 612 080 or click here to enquire

GreenSmart homes showcase environmentally responsible housing principles and design.

Benefits:

• Improve the energy, resource and water efficiency of the home
• Enable homeowners to waste less and recycle more
• Reduce the waste from the building process
• Create healthier homes
• Improve site management during construction
• A Greensmart home will have lower energy and water bills
• Comfortable to live in all year round

Our team at Bush & Beach endorse GreenSmart principles and
are proud to have a GreenSmart professional on staff who can assist
you to create a healthy home for your family.

 
 
Contact us today to speak to a consultant about how we can build your dream GreenSmart home.
Free call 1300 612 080 or click here to enquire

Incorporating skylights or roof windows into your Bush & Beach eco home can make a significant improvement to the overall energy efficiency while creating a wonderful living environment for your family. They can be used to provide natural lighting and in some cases ventilation in areas with nonexistent or inadequate lighting.

There is a wide variety of skylights available to suit all applications however it is very important to seek expert advice when incorporating skylights into your passive designed home. Our design team would consider the orientation and aspect of the home, roof pitch and angle, room size and position of the skylight and most importantly the amount of lighting or ventilation required to select the right choice for each individual application.

Skylights available:

o   Traditional skylights: have a dome on the roof and a diffuser in the ceiling

o   Tubular skylights: reflect the sunlight down a tube to the required area

o   Roof windows: provide natural lighting and also ventilation

Other options to consider:

o   Shape: rectangular, circular, oval, diamond or triangle

o   Glazing: flat, arched, domed or pyramidal

o   Fixed or adjustable: for ventilation

o   Glass type: double or triple glazed to reduce heat transference

Mixing the right options together is critical to receive the maximum benefits of incorporating a skylight or roof window into your eco home.

Our design team at Bush & Beach will assist you to select the best option available for your individual situation and the correct placement of your skylight to provide you with the outcome you require.

Contact us today to speak to a consultant about how we can build your dream eco home.
Free call 1300 612 080 or click here to enquire

Good passive design in your eco home should incorporate shading of the home, outdoor entertaining areas, external walls and glass to help reduce summer temperatures and therefore improve the comfort levels for your family while also reducing energy costs.

To achieve the optimum benefits and desired comfort levels it is critical to shade and or protect all east, north and west glazing especially to reduce heat gain.

There are many shading options available and our design team at Bush & Beach is more than happy to discuss the various choices with you to suit your design, climate and house orientation.

Some of these options are listed below:

• Adjustable shading devices can provide the flexibility required to maximize your climatic conditions.
• Horizontal or vertical screening can assist by filtering the early sunrise in the east and the late afternoon sun setting in the west
• Landscaping or planting can protect glass from direct sunlight however deciduous plants should be considered in cooler climates
• Eaves & awnings are the simplest and cheapest way to shade your home
• Fixed roofed decks can improve your lifestyle and also reduce the temperature by shading outdoor entertaining areas.
• Glazing position, style, type and size should all be addressed when designing your home to reduce heat gain & loss

Contact us today to speak to a consultant about how we can build your dream eco home.
Free call 1300 612 080 or click here to enquire

Our Bush & Beach design team would consider an eco friendly home to be one that can help reduce your overall household water usage, thus creating an environment that is not only sustainable but would improve your quality of life and reduce your impact on the environment.

Reducing your water usage can be as simple as choosing water efficient products and appliances i.e. toilets, taps, shower heads, washing machines and dishwashers.

These are key areas where water consumption can be reduced by installing efficient products. It is also important to ensure that these items are working efficiently and not leaking for example.

The installation and use of rainwater storage tanks is now common building practice across the country for new homes and also retro fitting to existing homes to provide sole or supplementary water supply in most areas.

Greywater systems recycle wastewater from showers, laundry, basins and taps (not the kitchen or toilets). They are becoming more common and are a great way to recycle water for use outdoors in the gardens and in some states for indoor toilets.

There are many design solutions to assist you to create a home that is sustainable and as always we welcome the opportunity in talking with you about your eco home.

Contact us today to speak to a consultant about how we can build your dream eco home.
Free call 1300 612 080 or click here to enquire

The use of photovoltaic technology can be used to provide an alternative to conventional energy sources therefore reducing energy costs and green house gas omissions while providing a healthier home and improved lifestyle for your family.

Our design team at Bush & Beach is up to date with the latest photovoltaic systems that are available and can design your architecturally styled eco home to provide the optimal orientation and roof pitch for your location in order to achieve the maximum output for your solar system.

With very little to no maintenance required and silent operation with no moving parts photovoltaic systems provide peace of mind for the home owner and with the government providing rebates for alternative energy sources and the costs of electricity expected to rise significantly there is no better time to consider using a photovoltaic system to provide clean energy to run your home.

Contact us today to talk with one of our design team or Greensmart professionals at Bush & Beach today about the options available and the benefits for your new energy efficient home.

Using energy efficiently within the home can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce your energy and operational costs, helping to create a healthier home for your family.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is a wonderful way to improve your efficiency. When designing your new eco, sustainable home consider sources of renewable energy such as solar, wind or hydro–power as they produce no greenhouse gas omissions, reduce the overall energy costs and improve the lifestyle of the home occupants.

Efficient Energy Use

Using energy efficiently is also another way to help reduce energy costs and avoid the environmental issues of the more traditional sources of energy. There are many options available including efficient lighting, appliances and fittings and if used in conjunction with practical passive design principles your healthy new home will also be an efficient one.

Energy Conservation

Reducing your demand for energy through conservation and efficient energy use will reduce operational cost and environmental impact.

Our design team at Bush & Beach welcomes the opportunity to talk with you about efficient energy use and Greensmart principles in your new home. 

Contact us today – Free call 1300 612 080 or click here to enquire

When designing a passive eco friendly, energy efficient home you should consider the type of construction used as there are advantages and disadvantages depending on the climate, availability of materials, distance, budget and the overall architectural appearance.

Heavyweight construction:

Is generally a slab on ground, brick veneer or rendered home which is used in the majority of new housing estates all over Australia and is the most common form of building.

• Heavy weight construction has a higher thermal mass (i.e. slab) which improves the energy efficiency of the home
• Ideal for flat sites or where minimal site cutting is required
• Is most to help maintain a constant internal temperature
• Requires greater site impact and disturbance.
• High embodied energy

Lightweight construction:

In the past light weight construction has been more commonly referred to as a pole home. These types of homes are constructed on a subfloor consisting of posts, bearers & joists raised above the natural ground level.

• Can be specifically designed for sloping or difficult blocks where a slab or site cut is not an available option
• Works best in a warmer climate by cooling quickly at night.
• Sits lightly on the site with minimal impact
• Low embodied energy

Composite construction:

The best of both worlds.

Combining light and heavy weight materials and methods can help maximise the benefits of each system and therefore improve the comfort levels of the occupants.

It is important to discuss these options with your design team to ensure that you are taking advantage of the best possible construction method available to accommodate your site, lifestyle and budget requirements.

Our team at Bush & Beach is more than happy to meet with you on your site to discuss the options available and help create the healthy home and lifestyle you are looking for.  Contact us today on 1300 612 080 (freecall).