Build Sustainable Awards 2016

2016 Sustainable Building Awards Build 53 Company: Inspirations Design and Project Management Pty Ltd trading as Luxury Homes By Brentnall Name: Siobhan Pearson Email: [email protected] Phone: +61 400 420 392 Web address: www.brentnallhomes.com.au Address: 26 Vanessa Court, Springwood, Queensland, Australia 4127 ere at Brentnall we believe that choosing environmentally friendly features not only makes sense now, but in the long term future. As we specialise in large homes, we are very conscious of the long term costs to run the utilities. Firstly, I advise my clients of the advantages of being mindful to incorporate good passive solar design as it makes perfect sense to start with. Cost of power from the grid has escalated over the past three years so future proofing your home in the design and construction stage is extremely prudent, without compromising your comfort” Secondly, to reduce our carbon emissions we use steel framing as it is 100% recyclable and we can offer a 50-year guarantee, it is white ant proof and is pre- fabricated for speed of installation.” There are many ways in which our firm is working to help reduce clients’ energy bills and save them money. We in Australia have now well and truly embraced Solar power. With the recent advances in the technology and efficiency of the Solar panels and most importantly the new inverters it is now a far more cost effective option. The new systems can work efficiently in extremely low light levels and with the new Inverters coming on the market later this year, the day light energy can be saved and used when needed. It can run all of your energy needs, ducted Air- conditioning, hot water, lighting etc. In fact, just heating your hot water via the grid can account for over 30% of your electricity usage. We have also been working closely with a roofing product that has the solar panels in-situe. Siobhan said ‘I love specifying Tractile on the roof as it is a light weight composite and the solar panels don’t detract from the aesthetics of the beautiful high pitched roof as they are embedded into the roofing material.” I appreciate Tractile is a high end product compared to colour bond or Cement tiles but the advantages are well worth it. Another company we have been working with over the years is AusGeothermal. ‘I love this Australian company!” I appreciate it costs more initially but it will pay for itself in 7 years. Using copper coils to embrace the energy from the earth it can run all your air conditioning and heating the hot water and underfloor heating Brentnall have always designed and specified insulation batts to ceilings and external walls as well as using thermal blanket under the roofing. We have had this as a standard inclusion for over 30 years… so I guess we led the way to the Australian 6-star rating. It is amazing how much heat is lost if you don’t insulate! 20% of heat seeps through the walls if not insulated and as heat rises, 30% is lost in the ceilings, which is a very big waste. Another point to remember is the thermal mass of the ground. The temperature of the earth only changes over the year by approximately 5% so a Concrete slab on ground has superior thermal advantage over high set homes. Although our high set designs have always included Hebel Power floor panels and insulation batts between the joists. Please when designing your home, don’t forget the external cladding of the home has to be considered. Brick veneer has little Thermal energy rating where as we use and specify speciality products that not only have excellent energy efficiency but are strong and enhance the finish of the home. These products are quick to install, lightweight and can be rendered or have authentic stone cladding. Double glazing and triple glazing has been a viewed as a luxury in Australia for a long time, and Brentnall have been specifying it for years. A Luxury Homes By Brentnall consultant can explain in more detail how you can enjoy free power from the sun in more detail and help you work out how quickly your new Luxury Homes By Brentnall specified products and systems can pay for themselves. You will be pleasantly surprised at how soon this can be. Best for Sustainable Luxury Architecture – Australia & Award for Innovation in Sustainable Design - Australia Luxury Homes By Brentnall have a passion for designing and supplying Luxury Bespoke homes to their discerning clientele. For over 35 years each of the (nearly) 3000 happy clients have enjoyed the process of creating a ‘living work of art ‘specially tailored to their ‘wish list ‘and building site constraints while keeping in mind their budget. Siobhan Pearson, along with her team have also led the way in Environmental sustainable living for each of their client’s homes. She talks us through how the firm aims to support clients in reducing their energy use and, ultimately, saving money. H AR160108