During 1994 and 1995 more than 16 500 hectares of agricultural land
was subdivided for urban housing in Queensland.
The
Rio
Declaration on Environment and Development (United
Nations 1992) greatly expands on the definition of sustainability. It
established a set of 27 principles that are strongly tied to concepts
of equity - national and international, gender and wealth and inter-generational
equity. Princliple 4 of the Rio Declaration states "In order to
achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall constitute
an integral part of the development process and cannot be considered
in isolation from it."
A sustainable house should become part of the local ecosystem.
The Vale
House in the United Kingdom was established in an urban setting
with the ideal of being an autonomous building. Autonomous meaning that
all services required for the building are solicited from its own site,
with the following aims:
1. To decrease dependence on fossil fuels.
2. Decrease dependence on reticulated water and waste water systems.
3. Stop discharge of pollutants through sewage.
4. Design a building which will be more sustainable in the long term.
5. Design a building over which the users would have more control.
6. And as a result of the above to provide positive environmental
and financial options.
Hesitations to build such houses have been based on concerns that:
- They do not always achieve the same level of service that reticulated
systems do.
- They are not marketed as a standard home therefore may require more
thought and expense in design and construction.
- Occupants must be more aware utilities such as potable water and
the power supply.
Governments at all levels are now putting in place an infrastructure
which not only supports sustainable building practices (eg solar hot
water rebates), but in some areas legislates building standards so that
they must meet sustainable practices (eg dual flush toilets and
star ratings for enegy efficiency of a house).
Although reticulated systems are perceived to be cheap and reliable,
recent Australian infrastructure disasters question this promise: the
turning off of Melbourne's gas supply after an explosion at the refinery
(1999); Sydney's water supply was deemed unfit for human consumption
(1999); and Brisbane needed to ration power supplies due to generator
break downs (1998).
The Newton House is designed to reduce the environmental cost at all
levels of construction and throughout the life of the structure.
There are several ways in which to Define a Sustainable House.
The following list of features has been adopted for the Newton House:
1. Climate appropriate passive solar design which minimises the need
for artificial heating and cooling,
2. Site protection in design and during construction,
3. Exclusive use of products which are recycled or made from renewable
resources,
4. Management of own waste on site, including greywater and black water,
5. Produce and efficiently manage electrical power,
6. Collect and efficiently manage water resources,
7. Provide food resources from a permaculture garden, and
8. The house shall become part of the local ecosystem.
Links
http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/t_std2.asp?PID=434
http://www.abec.com.au/
http://www.buildinggreen.com/features/4-5/priorities.html
http://www.buildinggreen.com/ebn/checklist.html
http://www.abc.net.au/science/planet/house/default.htm
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