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C-Air is an 87 lot development at Hillarys a suburb of Perth in Western Australia (WA). Investa set strict environmental objectives for the development at the earliest stages and the environmental performance of the houses (designed and built by others) was seen as integral to this goal. The development's innovative home design assessment system draws partly on the BASIX system used in NSW in recognition that a similar form of accreditation is likely to be implemented in WA in the near future. The assessment is made up of six (6) core sustainability elements: Passive Solar Design, Energy Use, Water Use, Garden Design, Waste & Recycling and Community Values and each house is awarded a rating of Bronze, Silver or Gold depending on the level of performance achieved. Bronze is the minimum rating required to achieve approval. At the end of the 2006 financial year there had been twenty-two house assessments carried out, with six Bronze, fourteen Silver and two Golds awarded. The first houses were nearing completion at the end of the financial year. The system is incorporated into C-Air's development-specific Design Guidelines which serve the dual purpose of detailing the responsibilities of owners and acting as a sustainable design educational tool. To further assist purchasers in designing their home, Clarendon Residential provides a one hour free-of-charge consultation with architects Overman & Zuideveld to run through opportunities for enhancement. We also produced a Home Efficiency Operation Manual to help owners maximise the benefits of their homes' design features and a Rebate & Discount Guide to provide access to savings for environmentally friendly products. Results from an independent assessment (G Diver 2006) of potential annual water and energy savings for C-Air Hillarys houses compared to an average house are as follows:
The design assessment system created for C-Air will be used for future Investa developments. |
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