 |
|
| University Home Page > TAFE Portfolio > School of Manufacturing Services > BCD |
|
 |
|
||||||
|
|||||||
Ballarat Foundation 7 Star Charity Home |
|||||||
|
In May 2008 the Specialist Centre started working on a project with the Ballarat Foundation to assist with the design and of a 7 star rated sustainable home in The Chase development in Alfredton. As time went on we advised on several design issues and checked the 7 star rating. During construction we began to involve the University’s horticulture department to advise on the landscaping and gardening for the home. After construction was completed the horticulture students laid out the garden and planted the drought resistant plants.     |
|||||||
|
Many sustainable features have
gone into the home and together with the National Centre for
Sustainability we produced a series of cost benefit analyses for
each individual feature such as the grey water diverter, solar hot
water system, solar panels, insulation, lighting, plumbing
equipment, underground rainwater tank, gas heating system and double
glazed windows, These cost benefit analyses appear in the hand out
booklet which people are given when they visit the home. Payback
periods are indicated for each particular feature and visitors can
gain an appreciation of the initial costs of the sustainable
products and what period of time it would take in normal
circumstances to offset these costs with savings on energy, water
and gas. Pay back periods vary from just a few months to several
years.
A prototype electronic
monitoring system has been installed which provides information on
energy savings from the solar panels and consumption data relating
to electricity, gas and water. |
|||||||
      |
|||||||
|
The home is open for the
public to inspect every weekend 1.00 to 5.00pm during August and
September 2009. School groups are encouraged to contact the
Foundation to arrange special viewing times for school excursions.
After a few months the
home will be sold. Whoever purchases the home will be very fortunate
to have all the up to date latest technological and sustainable
features incorporated into a very liveable and attractive home. |
 |
||||||
|
Students from the University
studying Advanced Diploma in Building Design recently visited the
home. The second year students confirmed the 7 star rating and also
scored the home against alternative methods for evaluating
sustainability in residential projects. |
 |
||||||
By all accounts the Ballarat
Foundation home achieves outstanding results. For
further information on the Home visit the Ballarat Foundation
website:
Where: Cnr. Dyson Drive & Chase Boulevard, The Chase, Alfredton Saturdays & Sundays 1pm to 5pm. Groups at other times by appointment |
|||||||
|
Top of Page
|
|||||||
University of Ballarat Building & Construction Training Centre |
|||||||
|
Our Specialist Centre works closely with the University of Ballarat's Building and Construction Training Centre. The centre is a ground breaking training facility that applies environmentally sustainable practices to building construction. One of the main features of the building is the integrated solar panels incorporated in the north facade of the building. This is the largest installation of its kind in Australia. By offsetting carbon emissions, the solar panels make the building much more energy efficient. More information:
|
|
||||||
|
|
Timber cladding has been
used over much of the building in place of steel or concrete because
it is a fully renewable building material.
Equipment in the bricklaying department and plumbing skills room utilises recycled water to reduce demand from Ballarat's main water supply, The floors in the facility have been fitted with materials that have a number of environmentally friendly benefits including 85% Australian limestone, which is an inert raw material found in abundance. Other flooring materials have been sourced from Australian companies that specialise in recycling plastic shopping bags and plastic bottles. The building has also been provided with a number of water-saving measures including waterless urinals, flow limiting control on water supplies and rainwater harvesting, among other initiatives. |
||||||
|
The state-of-art technology buildings are a mixture of teaching classrooms and specialist workshops. With teaching focusing on sustainability and environmental approaches the physical structure of the facility is leading the way by taking a sustainable approach. Located in Grant Street, Ballarat, the centre was constructed in accordance with environmental principles and is fitted with the most up to date technology and equipment. |
|||||||
