Sustainable Housing The Way of The Future

Sustainability in housing is a crucial issue in this day and age, but the definition of sustainability goes a long way beyond the actual buying price of a property. Although housing prices in Sydney and Melbourne have risen to very high levels over recent years, resulting in a housing affordability crisis for first home buyers trying to enter the housing market, there is more to consider beyond price alone.

 

The location where a home is constructed is important, is it near public transport for example, will the residents of the home be able to afford to get to and from work, can they access hospitals and other health facilities? If houses are built in locations without good transport where people can’t access jobs or health services there is a very high risk of creating a poverty stricken, sick community. Victoria’s 30-Year Infrastructure Strategy informs developers of infrastructure plans, so these anomalies can be avoided.

 

Good urban design is essential to the creation of successful communities. With a growing population the need for high and medium density housing is changing our suburbs. Where once the family home stood alone on a large block of land with a big back yard and hills hoist clothesline, the blocks in Melbourne and Sydney are getting smaller and the need to build units and townhouses is increasing.

It is essential that the local community is involved in the decision making where their suburbs are changing and best practice urban design is used. Creating Places for People: An Urban Design Protocol for Australian Cities (the Protocol) provides a toolkit for planners and architects.

 

Sustainable housing design helps address the affects of climate change and the escalating energy prices being experienced already with the threat of rising energy costs. Building a home that runs on low energy consumption yet is comfortable in summer and winter ensuring lower energy bills to householders also goes a long way to helping reduce the housing crisis by creating sustainable living once a house is purchased. After all, a home owner must be able to afford to live in their home!

 

The Finishing Touch supply lightweight, decorative mouldings to the building industry and take a keen interest in sustainable housing construction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Contemporary Homes Handsomely Finished with Finishing Touch Decorative Mouldings

Example of arched windows by the Finishing Touch

In Church Street, Brighton a 50 squares, contemporary home looks rather grand with 5 arch mouldings over the windows on the façade, supplied by the Finishing Touch.  The arches were formed from the 8.4 metres of architraves (model # W1100) sized 100mm x 45mm. The other 22 windows were decorated with 214 metres of architraves (model # WP12) sized 90mm x 35mm and 60 metres of window sills (model # WS15) sized 130mm x65mm. Parapets and eaves were handsomely finished with 125 metres of parapet moulding (model # P7720) sized 220mm x 115mm and  91 metres of eave parapet (model # PE15)sized 170mm x 100mm. 9 pier caps (model # PC3) sized 600mm x 600mm carried through the same style to the fencing.  The builder used a new Finishing Touch product called “Touch ‘n’ Seal” adhesive to afix the decorative mouldings.

A post-modern, forty square home in Morgan Avenue, Corydon has just been built with a superb finish, created by the addition of the high quality, lightweight, decorative mouldings supplied by the Finishing Touch.  The fifty seven metres of eave mouldings (model # PE4TR1) sized 150mm x 150mm, together with 16.8 metres of parapet mouldings for the portico (model # P8200) sized 200mm x 155mm and 18 metres of stringer mouldings (model # S19) sized 120mm x 90mm and 15 metres of a smaller stringer moulding (model # S6R2), sized 55mm x 27mm give a smooth finish to the build. The eight windows were transformed into a decorative statement with the application of the 64 metres of window architrave moulding (model # WP5) sized 100mm x 35mm, and 27 metres of window sills (model # WS5R2) sized 133mm x 90mm.

One off custom designed decorative mouldings can also be made by the Finishing Touch and a building company in Hawthorn has ordered, and been supplied with, 11.4 metres of Georgian wall capping to his specifications.