Case Studies

Case Study 4. Woodend Healthy House Project

Design Issue:

The Woodend Healthy House Project has been established to demonstrate the lastest 'healthy building' design principles and practises that can help maximise energy efficiency, health and sustainability measures in existing and new housing.

The project involves a significant renovation and extension to a 100 year old weatherboard cottage (114 sq. metres). The project is located in Woodend, Victoria (Macedon Ranges), approximately 75kms northwest of Melbourne. This region is classified as a cool temperate climate with warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters with occasional snow falls.

Today's consumers demand more than just a roof over their heads. As well as comfort, new homes and renovations are having to meet a variety of lifestyle, environmental and health criteria.,

Energy Efficiency - Sustainability - Indoor Air Quality:

Lifestyle - 'Australians spend more than 90% of their time indoors' ('Healthy Homes' Guide, Commonwealth Department of Health & Ageing, 2002) with a growing concentration of work and entertainment revolving around the home.

Environmental - Australians have a growing environmental awareness and desire to conserve energy and water and maintain the quality of our air.

Health - The push for more energy efficient buildings and the use of modern building techniques and technologies are having a significant impact on people's health. Australia has one of the highest incidences of asthma and allergies in the world. According to a recent study ' children already at risk of developing allergies had a 400 per cent higher risk of developing conditions such as eczema and asthma if exposed to renovations or a new home' ('The Age' 27/9/03 - Research Paper; International Society for Environmental Epidemiology Conference - Perth W.A. Sept. 2003)

Healthy Housing is a building design concept, which incorporates Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) criteria with emphasis on indoor air quality and occupant health.

• The Woodend Healthy House Project is presently under construction and will be officially opened in late 2005.
  
  
• Public seminars and tours will be offered on a regular basis from late 2005 onwards.

The building specifications   (PDF file 131KB)

Project Partners

This project has attracted sponsorship from building material suppliers who produce and market energy efficient and/or healthy building products.