Project: Echo Residence, Brookfield

Awards: This project received the RAIA Sustainability Award Commendation and the RAIA Courier Mail People’s Choice Award.

Project Description:

The design of Echo Residence was strongly driven by the following ESD principles.

Principle 1 - Maintain & Restore Biodiversity through the re-vegetation of the site with native plants, top soil retention, restoration of the water dragon habitat throughout landscape design & innovative stormwater control.

Principle 2 - Minimize the Consumption of Resources through the utilization of innovative lightweight modular building structural system, selection of low embodied process energy materials, use of passive solar design, minimization of PVC and utilization of recycled materials.

Principle 3 - Minimize Pollution of Air, Soil & Water through the use of prefabricated structural building elements, sourcing of local materials in lieu of overseas materials, use of low maintenance gutters and barges, optimization of ventilation, roof water collection, use of low toxic finishes and more.

Principle 4 - Maximize Health & Safety and Building Control through reduction of V.O.C’s, monitoring of thermal control by UQ, predominately single level living on steep site, use of natural finishes, minimization of toxic chemicals and optimization of natural lighting.

Principle 5 - Increase of Awareness of the Environmental Issues. Permacultural principles were adopted in the landscape design. Water was conserved via visible water storage tanks. Lectures on environmental features of this building were given to the university students.