Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) Construction - Feature Television Segment on 'Today Tonight'

Today Tonight at 6:30pm (AEST) tonight on Channel 7.

Learn more about how modular, prefabricated construction is in the process of revolutionising the Australian building industry.

Taking a further step in sustainablitiy from steel to timber based panels, Habitech is an Australian based venture, manufacturing modular wall panels and building components in Melbourne. 

Delivering houses with 7Star to 8Star energy ratings and integrated energy efficient services, Habitech houses offer a new level of comfort and sustainability to the Austalian housing market.  

While steel emits significant amounts of CO2 in manufacture and delivery, timber locks up carbon out of our atmosphere. Habitech's timber based structural panels  give you the option to lower the emodied energy and CO2 emitted in delivering your house - contributing further to protecting our climate and future.

Current Design Projects

Alpine House

The Alpine House is sited at 980 metres above sea level with spectacular views over the Great Dividing Range. The design responds to a brief for a highly sustainable family house capturing these southern views, while still maximising northern light and solar passive heating potential. The house is off-grid and autonomous in its resource use, with all energy, water and waste water treatment being met on-site.  The 191m2 house utilises a Habitech building fabric (outer shell), delivered onto an insulated concrete slab providing thermal mass and heat storage to living spaces.

Suburban Canterbury House

This 180m2 three storey house is on a narrow sloping suburban land allotment of approximately 325 square metres. The new dwelling will have a crossover and driveway accessing a lower level masonry single-car garage, with adjoining study built back into the hill. The first floor level comprises north facing living areas and main bedroom delivered with the Habitech System. A second floor level of our wall panels then provides two additional bedrooms, bathroom, further study area  and a void over living areas maximising northern amenity.

Rural Studio

The design for this rural artist's studio was influenced by our client's love of Japanese landscape design. He had also recently milled a volume of messmate he envisaged using to form screening elements to engage the building in the landscape. The design utilises the strength and bracing of Habitech wall panels to create blade columns which, along with the long spanning performance of our roof system, cost effectively create screening to an enclosed courtyard settled back into the sloping site. The project has been designed to be built in stages, with an initial building providing accomodation for short stays, and a second stage providing further bedrooms and a wet area.

Administration & Training Building

Habitech is currently assisting a not-for-profit organisation to deliver a new Administration & Training building on the Mornington Peninsula. Habitech's innovative fabric will be utilised to deliver the 280m2 building which contains a large meeting room, reception, foyer, office, meeting/break out spaces, store rooms, kitchen and bathroom.

Zero Carbon Study - Cape Paterson Ecovillage

Author: Anthony Szatow 

Compared to a new 6-star house of the same size, Cape Paterson buyers could save between 2.5 years and 5.5 years on a 25 year mortgage when in-home energy and water savings accrued by virtue of sustainability features are used to accelerate mortgage repayments. Cumulative savings on energy bills and mortgage payments could exceed $300,000 under the high future price scenario modelled in this study. Naturally financial benefits will vary depending on future energy and water price scenarios, the final delivery cost for sustainability features, mortgage variables and other factors specific to each home buyer.

Compared to staying in the pre-existing Victorian home modelled in this review, or buying a new home of 250m², a 200m² Cape Paterson home is extremely valuable. The value of future energy and water savings are equivalent to having $58,000 compared to an existing home, or $70,000 for a new home of 250m² including build cost reductions, in the bank today, guaranteed to mature at 6% after tax.

For the full report and further details visit: 

http://www.capepatersonecovillage.com.au/documents/ZCS_Report_FA.pdf

Habitech Welcomes New Staff

Jon Pye

Jon is an architect with twenty years of experience working in Australia and the Pacific. He has run his own practice, worked in several of Melbourne's most successful architectural practices,taught at both Melbourne University and RMIT, spent a year as the Government Architect of Kiribati and recently finished building his own house. Jon is Habitech's Design Director.

Micka Etheridge

Micka completed an Environmental Science degree at Monash University majoring in Resource Management and Ecology, before spending the following years as a carpenter and building in both Victoria and NSW. Micka has a keen interest in sustainable design and construction, and is a qualified Residential Building Thermal Performance Assessor and Green Star Accredited Professional. His wider interests have included a period fronting an independent Australian rock band and founding Rhythm Drop Records.

Triple R Interview

Chris Barnett's interview for The Architects program on RRR 102.7FM is now available on podcast & mp3, which can be streamed online or downloaded from the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

(Quicktime plug-in is needed to stream it online: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/)

Alternatively, to download the full 45 minutes program, which was broadcasted on Monday, 18th of July 2011 from the Triple R website, please follow this link:

http://rrrfm.libsyn.com/the-architects-show-290-chris-barnett

Chris Barnett's Interview