thisplace.com.au - Smart Housing Design Awards

The concept of Smart Housing has arisen from the need to provide flexible housing, which demonstrates cost-benefit savings over time. Smart Housing incorporates good design, planning and construction practice related to

Affordability
Energy efficiency
Universal design ( caters for people at different stages of their lives and people with disabilities )
Safety and security

Affordability

Smart Housing is affordable and cost efficient over time - the Smart Housing concept recognises that affordability is not just the initial design and construction costs, but the cost - benefit over the life of the asset - additional initial costs are very minor compared to the savings over time
the important issue with cost is that apart from the cost of the necessary inclusion of appropriate insulation, the possibility of a solar hot water system, the universal housing component and the minimum safety and security components, the house should not cost any extra to build than conventional housing
design entries must be able to demonstrate that the housing design is affordable

Energy Efficiency

Some of the recognised designed principles that should be considered as part of the entry are

orientation - the building's orientation and positioning on the site can be advantageous for maximising the benefits of passive solar design - this design principle has considerable energy saving advantages in temperate and sub-tropical climates during the cooler months and hot humid climates in summer months
if the major living areas can be orientated to face true solar north, the benefits are free warmth and light as the sun passes low in the northern sky in winter
ensure that the long axis of the building is orientated east-west, so that the long length of the building faces north-south - this enables the majority of windows to be positioned on the north wall where winter sun penetration into the building will be maximised - if the building is twice as long as it is wide, it will reduce the shading impact on any buildings located to the south, and assist in cross-ventilation
the sun's path varies with the latitude - this is particularly relevant in the tropics where the sun passes overhead in the southern part of the sky during summer - therefore, the southern side of the house will also require shading

Internal Room Zoning

the orientation and grouping of rooms of a similar ( for example, living areas, service areas and sleepy areas ) can assist in minimising hat loss in winter or equally, maximise the benefits in summer of the local climatic conditions, such as cooling prevailing breezes

Shading of Windows and Walls

east and west facing walls and windows are the most important to shade, as solar heating is most intense on these orientations, especially the summer sun - windows facing east or west should be protected by either a sufficiently wide horizontal-shading device ( such as wide eaves, verandah or pergola ), a vertical shading device, or the window should be small and placed high on the wall under the eaves
the sun's path varies with the season, so the overhangs should be designed to block out the summer heat and allow the entry of winter warmth - a solar pergola is a simple way to allow the winter sun's rays in and to block them out in summer
window areas on east or west facing walls should be the minimum required for the passage of cooling summer breezes or view - habitable rooms should not have west facing windows except where it is not feasible to provide windows on other wall orientations or to achieve satisfactory views in any other way

Ventilation

natural ventilation should maximised by aligning windows and doors to allow for the capture of prevailing breezes and to allow cross-flow breezes in summer - reduce unwanted winter drafts by sealing air leaks around doors and windows

Insulation

ensure that building materials and construction techniques are beneficial in controlling internal temperatures for thermal comfort - insulate walls, ceilings and/or roof spaces with products that meet the recommended R value - ensure insulation materials perform adequately when taste to AS 1530.3 - Methods for fire test on building materials, components and structures

Thermal Mass

construction materials, such as concrete, brick, aerated auto claved concrete ( AAC or Hebel ) and other solid masonry materials are considered as having high thermal mass - these materials absorb heat during the hottest part of the day and during the night release the stored heat as they cool - obviously, the benefits of thermal mass for summer comfort depends on climates which are characterised by very hot days and cools nights, such as southern inland climates
in the tropics and sub-tropics, where the climates are typically characterised with summer nights that are warm and sultry and summer days that are hot and humid, thermal mass is of little benefit and in fact can be detrimental if not correctly used - in this instance it is beneficial to place the thermal mass inside the house to absorb the heat gathered during the day

Climate Modification Technologies

appliances such as ceiling fans, and to a lesser extent roof ventilator, are examples of technologies that have been found to be beneficial in aiding climate comfort

Energy Smart Appliances

a number of essential considerations for Smart Housing and reduction of energy consumption would include the use of energy efficient lighting, gas appliances where applicable, such as a cooktop and oven, and where the suitable site and climatic conditions prevail, the incorporation of a solar hot water system

Natural Lighting

efficient use of natural lighting is an essential consideration in any design -

Landscape Design

a carefully considered design of the external environment can be extremely beneficial in terms of thermal comfort - appropriate selection and placement of trees and shrubs, trellises and pergolas to shade the walls and windows can greatly moderate the temperature inside the building

Climatic Zones

The climatic zones are

Northern Tropical - coastal zone characterised by hot humid days and warm summer nights, typified by places like Cairns, Townsville and Mackay
Southern to Central Sub-tropical - coastal zone characterised by hot summer days and cool winter nights, typified by places like Brisbane and Rockhampton
Cool Temperate Zone - characterised by warm summer days and cold winter nights, typified by places like Toowoomba Warwick and Stanthorpe

Universal Design

universal design is a concept of good common sense design that is intended to optimise the useability of a designed product, environment and the like
universal design principles are considered essential requirements in order to meet the changing proportion of housing needs - these needs are characterised by increasing demand for accommodation for people of all ages regardless of their ability or mobility
universal design features should include features such as wider hallways and doorways and level flooring with no thresholds - all can assist in reducing the potential for accidents for people with limiting mobility constraints

Safety and Security

there a number of important features to note in the concept of safety and security which are the preventative measures used to minimise injury and to provide a safe and secure home environment for all ages
consult Queensland Health's Child Home Safety Construction Guidelines and the Australian Standard AS 4226, in order to gain a greater understanding of the design issues for both child and adult safety around the home
there are some essential requirements such as smoke alarms and a some home security measures such as front and rear security doors and one security screen per bedroom and all other windows to be provided with keyed alike window locks as a minimum
child safety - measures should include -thermostatic mixing valves, childproof cupboards and medicine cabinet, cooktop guard rails and child safety power points

Other Considerations

marketability - design entries must appeal to a large portion of the wider community
internal living space - should work logically, practically and efficiently - a good relationship between indoor and outdoor living spaces is essential
appropriate design for climate and comfort - the housing design must be appropriate for the local climatic conditions and provide both a high level of thermal comfort for its occupants and where appropriate, a comfortable outdoor living area
privacy and security - the housing designs should provide high levels of visual and acoustic privacy as well as a secure environment for its occupants - particular emphasis should be placed on balancing the need for privacy and ventilation
building materials and construction techniques - the challenge here is to produce a design using building materials and construction techniques that are climatically appropriate and have market acceptability as well as having relatively low maintenance within the constraints of the respective affordable household group
landscape design - the challenge is to incorporate a proposed landscape design that responds to the local climatic conditions and respects the lifestyle and the affordability of the household group

Source: Smart Housing Design Awards - Competition Criteria