A Sustainable Trend You Need to Know About: ‘German Passive House Standards’
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA - 11/30/2015 (PRESS RELEASE JET) -- Ducon was recently named winner of CSR – HIA (Australia) Housing and Kitchen Awards 2015.
Ducon an Energy Efficient Award Winner with German Passive House Standards.
A standout building in every sense of the word this world class designed custom home won the recent CSR-HIA Victorian Housing and Kitchen Awards and was judged as the most, energy efficient and carbon neutral home between $3m-$5m.
The property is designed to German Passive House standards. This design process is integrated with the architecture of the building, resulting in ultra-low energy consumption. Most passive buildings to date have been built in Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavia, although interest is rapidly gathering pace in other countries.
The passive house standard is a performance standard, not a design standard. A home or building of any architectural style can be a certified passive house. It’s not a brand name, but a rather construction concept that can be applied by anyone and that has stood the test of practice.
The home (situated at 9 Bromby St, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia) is a beautiful and spectacular contemporary home that exemplifies the successful amalgamation of high-end design, high-quality construction and passive design philosophies.The specific requirement for the home was to reduce its heat gain and loss in order to reduce operating costs. This was achieved through a raft of techniques including energy recovery ventilations systems and exposed concrete block walls which engage thermally with the interior space to control radiant temperatures.
The need for the mechanical heating and cooling of passive design buildings is minimised through the use of heating and cooling methods such as natural ventilation, solar heat gain, solar shading and efficient insulation. 9 Bromby Street Cooling uses variable refrigerant volume air conditioning systems with each key space having a separate unit.
Windows can be opened if needed. An automatic shut-off of the cooling systems ensures that they do not operate while a window is open.
The integrated roof mounted solar thermal system provides domestic hot water, underfloor heating, and spa heating, with excess heat diverted into the swimming pool. The system is supported by an efficient gas booster.
The airtight ‘passive’ construction reduces air leakage and infiltration, reducing heat gain during summer and heat loss during winter. Independent certified testing undertaken by Air Leakage Measurement Australia (ALMA) confirmed that the air leakage design criterion was met, ensuring lower operational costs over the life of the building.
The huge energy saving in passive houses is achieved by using time-tested energy efficient building components and a quality ventilation system. Comfort is not sacrificed for energy reduction levels; rather, the level of comfort is considerably increased.
9 Bromby Street is the perfect exemplar of these rigorous standards. Small wonder that this home has reached the highest level of achievement of HIA members in the residential building industry.
“We are honoured to win this prestigious award. Sustainable housing is part of our mantra and it doesn’t matter if it’s a suburban home or waterside mansion it’s all possible if you strive for world class excellence, German Passive House Standards are just that.” said Peter Mason, Founder and Managing Director of Ducon.
About HIA
CSR - HIA Housing and Kitchen & Bathroom Awards represent the pinnacle of achievement in Australia’s residential building industry. The awards acknowledge the talent of designers, builders and building companies who plan and construct quality new housing and apartments, renovations and outdoor projects.
About Ducon
Established in 2002 Ducon has grown into a team of more than 90. Ducon is a medium-sized award winning construction company with substantial experience in managing and delivering a diverse range of projects.
At Ducon they build more than buildings. They build the teams, systems and relationships that make exceptional projects possible. Whether it’s commercial construction, building maintenance or a bespoke home, their mantra is always the same – good isn’t good enough, it has to be great! http://ducon.com.au/
Media Contact
Company Name: IGI Worldwide
Name: Pat Bosa
Phone: +61414317000
Email Address: patricia.bosa@igiworldwide.com.au
Website: http://igiworldwide.com.au