Elements of Smart and Sustainable Housing
Social sustainability
Safety + security + universal design = social sustainability
Environmental sustainability
Water efficiency + waste efficiency + energy efficiency = environmental sustainability
Economic Sustainability
Cost-efficiency + peace of mind + higher resale value = economic sustainability
Social Sustainability
Safety
A safe home reduces the likelihood of injuries in and around the home.
More information about making your home safer is available.
Security
A secure home uses designs and fittings to reduce crime.
More information about making your home secure is available.
Universal design
A home that is universally designed is flexible and comfortable for people with varying abilities and at different stages of their lives.
More information about making your home more comfortable and flexible is available.
Environmental Sustainability
Water efficiency
A smart and sustainable home saves on water which also saves you money in the long term.
You can achieve water efficiency by choosing water saving showers and taps and consider using water tanks for watering the garden and flushing the toilet.
For more information about water efficiency, visit the Water Wise website:
http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/waterwise/index.html or your local council.
Waste efficiency
Careful design and planning can save materials being wasted during initial construction. It may also reduce the need for expensive modifications as needs change. For more information visit: www.keepaustraliabeautiful.org.au, go to Clean Site or www.epa.qld.gov.au
Energy efficiency
A Smart House reduces energy consumption meaning more economic savings for you and your family. Passive solar design features such as house orientation, ventilation, insulation and adequate shading can improve energy efficiency. In many cases, it is possible to keep inside the home cool in summer and warm in winter without resorting to artificial heating and cooling devices.
For more information about energy efficiency and Queensland Government rebates, visit www.epa.qld.gov.au
Economic sustainability
A Smart House is cost-efficient. This means smart features are included in the initial design and construction, reducing the cost of changes and modifications in the future.
Smart design principles and choice of construction materials can have a considerable effect on initial costs, as well as costs over the life of the house.
A Smart House achieves cost-efficiencies in many ways:
Construction costs
You can achieve cost savings at the initial design and construction stage through the use of cost-efficient building materials, economic planning and 'smart' ideas.
For example, standardising the size of wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, windows and bathroom vanities and specifying ‘recycled’ and ‘readily available’ materials can save money.
Ongoing running costs
Ongoing costs can really add up over the life of the home. Significant savings are to be gained by carefully considering the design of the home and which fixtures and fittings to include. For example, energy-efficient showers and taps use less hot water and can save up to $100 or more a year on energy bills.
Living costs
Smart design features can save you money on a variety of everyday expenses such as cleaning, replacements and repairs as a result of accidents and breakages.
Long-term maintenance costs
Careful choice and selection of materials and the well-thought out design of a Smart and Sustainable Home reduces both repair and ongoing maintenance costs.
Ask your builder or designer to assist you to prepare an indicative Maintenance Management Plan at the initial design stage. Often the ongoing and long-term savings will outweigh any initial cost.
Future modification costs
People's needs change over time. A couple becomes a family, an individual makes the move to work from home or an older person becomes less mobile. Each will require their home to work in different ways.
Altering an existing home to accommodate changing needs can cost up to three times more than including the same features in the initial design and build stage.
A Smart House has been universally designed, and will work for a range of people of different ages and abilities.
Resale value
Smart and Sustainable Home features can lead to a greater demand for your home - the greater the demand, the higher the resale value as it will meet the needs of a greater range of people and therefore attract a larger market. With a massive increase in our ageing population and more people wanting to stay in their own home longer, a flexible and accessible home will become an increasingly valuable commodity.
Peace of mind
In a smart and sustainable home, the design and choice of fixtures and fittings have been carefully considered to ensure the safety and well-being of the occupants. This may reduce the risk of injury and therefore save on medical expenses, hospital bills and lost wages due to time off work.
Cost efficiency for our community
Cost-efficient housing also means savings for our community by reducing the cost of housing on the environment; reducing the likelihood of injury and the burden on the health care system; and reducing the incidence and cost of crime.
For more information
For more information view the fact sheets and publicationsLast Updated 05/08/2009