Renewable Materials: Affordable sustainable design and Durra Panel - Matt Delroy-Carr, MDC Architects

Would you love a sustainable home but think it's out of your budget? Well, think again.

In today's episode, we continue exploring renewable materials and investigate the design of an affordable environmental home built using standard construction methods. It features Durra Panel internal wall and ceiling boards made from agricultural waste straw. Architect Matt Delroy-Carr, the director of MDC Architects, shares the story behind his Scarborough Sustainable House, located on a small suburban site in the beachside suburb of Scarborough in warm temperate Perth.

Today we'll learn about;

• ideas for an affordable sustainable home,
• climate responsive design for warm temperate climates,
• the process, costs and benefits of using Durra Panel internal wall and ceiling boards in custom residential construction, and
• a wealth of insights and practical information drawn from Matt's extensive experience.

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MORE INFORMATION

Find everything you need on the Renovation Collaborative website.

www.renovationcollaborative.com.au

• PODCAST Key points summary, timestamps and resource links
• FREE RESOURCES Transcript edited into clear Q&A.
• CPD Australian architects can find more information on CPD, and
• COURSES Eleven easy to read courses demystifying the entire home design and construction process.

KEY POINTS SUMMARY

1. In this project, like so many others this season, the clients drove the environmental agenda and they were very well educated about environmental design and materials. This is what they were seeking and it's a fantastic brief for everyone to keep in mind:

• A floor plan sized to suit their needs that connected to a diverse and productive garden.
• Maximum thermal comfort for now and the future,
• A life cycle assessment to help understand and reduce their environmental impact and carbon footprint, and
• All within a modest budget.

2. To control costs, the strategy involved standard construction techniques combined with climate responsive design and environmental materials. This included:

• a single level design,
• a slab on ground floor,
• a trussed roof with flat ceilings throughout,
• a 90mm timber stud frame,
• external cladding in low maintenance, pre finished compressed fibre cement sheeting, and
• internal linings in Durra Panel.

3. Key strategies for achieving a maximum NatHERs energy efficiency rating in a warm temperate climate included:

• orienting the house toward the north,
• appropriately located and sized windows and shading to provide shade in summer, spring and autumn while allowing sunlight in during winter, and
• ensuring effective ventilation.

Also, double glazed, thermally broken, clear glass windows greatly enhanced the thermal performance.

4. Matt...