Dwelling Design Considerations

The terms of the Conservation Agreement included the provision that 1 hectare would be set aside, on which we can establish a dwelling. The logic is that the chances of the property being conserved over the long term are much higher if the property is financially viable. It can't be used for agriculture; so a rural residential property is the primary option.

The obvious site is on a low ridge several hundred metres east of the road, The views to the north, south and west are all excellent. But the region is subject to a great deal of wind, and the site is wind-exposed, particularly from the sector from south to north-west, and is sun-exposed to the north and west. By aligning the house along the ridge-line, the aspect would be close to 30 degrees east of north. The house-site is indicated in this map [LINK].

We intend (slowly) designing and developing a dwelling that will take advantage of the site, will reflect environmental principles, but will support permanent occupation. A first-cut dwelling-design is here [LINK].

There are a few challenges, e.g.:

• effluent management must be designed to ensure no harm to the conservation area (and the Jerrabatgulla and hence Shoalhaven catchment). The geotechnical report is positive on that score
• a track has to be established across the conservation area that does minimum harm during construction, and that will be stable and do minimum damage thereafter. The least-worst path starts along one waterline and crosses another; and the design has to manage water-flows during rain so to as to minimise negative impacts
• we would much prefer to avoid the damage that poles or trenching across the property would cause; which implies not only satellite communications and solar energy, but also no connection to the grid

We're intending to use this web-site as a place to record what we find out about various aspects of designing a dwelling to suit the site, such as:

• the track
• water capture and use
• effluent management
• energy
• solar power
• wind power
• geo-thermal heating
• secondary generator
• telecommunications
• structural alternatives, e.g. a slab as a heat-sink
• glass to maximise view and solar passivity but limit heat-loss
• frames to minimise rattle in the high winds
• an insulation design that works in both seasons

Here are a couple of areas in which design compromises / trade-offs are likely to be necessary:

• angles to north for solar power and passive solar heating
• roof-angles for solar power and water collection

This is a page within the Bunhybee Grasslands Web-Site, home-page here, and site-map here

Contact: Linda or Roger

Created: 7 October 2008; Last Amended: 13 October 2009