ESD Fundamentals: Space efficient joy – Belinda Allwood & Allison Stout, People Oriented Design

Sustainable design begins with the fundamentals. This means carefully considered floor plans that utilise space efficiently and are responsive to your climate and the surrounding site.

In today's episode, we'll explore the design of a new house on a small site located in Palm Cove in tropical North Queensland. Architects Belinda Allwood and Allison Stout from People Oriented Design share the inside story of their Big Small House project.

Today you'll learn,

• ideas to help you create a comfortable and happy home that is space efficient and affordable,
• design strategies to optimize cross ventilation, and
• creative ways to provide joy through design while working with a modest budget.

Plus loads of other insights and practical information on materials and products from Belinda and Allison's years of experience.

Australian Architects can claim formal CPD hours by listening to these podcasts and completing an online quiz.

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. Houses in hot tropical climates can be comfortable most of the year with access to good natural ventilation and shading. However, they will need a small air-conditioned retreat space designed for optimal energy efficiency for those very hot days every summer.

2. Belinda's design ideas to maximize ventilation and airflow include:

Thermal venting by allowing a large volume of cool air to enter at the lower level and as it heats, rise and exit through the upper level.

• Providing narrow floor plans with windows on opposite sides of the house to promote breeze flow straight through because breezes move best in straight lines through the house,
• Providing awnings and eaves over windows and doors so they can remain open during rain.
• Maximising door opening size in this case with sliding stacker doors,
• Using louvres and casement windows to provide 100% opening. These windows can be angled to channel breeze through the house and also remain open during rain. However, it is important to note if you're designing a room to be opened for maximum ventilation, and also closed for air conditioning with optimal energy efficiency, choose more airtight window openings and this includes casement windows, bifold doors, swing doors. Avoid louvers, sliders and double hung windows because they do not seal shut as effectively.

3. A common design requirement in cyclonic regions is the psychological need to feel safe. Timber and steel framing is very strong in cyclonic wind speeds when built to the correct engineering standards. However, masonry, and that means...