The Narara Ecovillage Building Standards (the Building Standards) have b=
een developed in support of the community=E2=80=99s vision, mission and aim=
s.
The NEV Building Standards have been developed and implemented by the NE=
V Community to further our aims to research, design and build a thriving Ec=
ovillage which demonstrates our commitment to ecological and social sustain=
ability
The standards seek an outcome based on inclusive decision making, good d=
esign, good health and the wellbeing of all community members. T=
hey encourage small and inexpensive houses knowingly designed to provide th=
ermal comfort, low water use and low energy consumption. The sta=
ndards also seek innovation from community members in the design of their h=
omes and the use of recycled and locally sourced materials wherever possibl=
e. We are all seeking homes with a significantly reduced impact on the envi=
ronment when compared to the =E2=80=9Caverage=E2=80=9D house currently buil=
t in NSW and in Australia as a whole.
We aim for standards equal to the current best practice, and which incor=
porate higher sustainability and performance outcomes than those set by oth=
er commonly used rating tools. In addition, we seek cost-effecti=
ve outcomes for all sustainability elements incorporated into the homes of =
community lot owners.
The Building Standards will be reviewed regularly by the Building Review=
Panel, who will report to the Community Association. The Buildi=
ng Review Panel is focused on improving the standards with reference to our=
community aims, affordability and building performance.
Please contact the Building Review Panel (brp@nararaecovillage=
.com) if you have any questions regarding these Standards.
Conserving potable water and managing stormwater, greywater & bl=
ackwater. (Greywater is waste water from showers and basins and blackwater is water from toilets.)
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated by a building=E2=80=99s =
thermal performance and other energy use in a building.
Supporting increased use of renewable energy.
Managing peak power demand.
Lowering the environmental impacts of building materials by reducing=
their embodied energy and toxicity.
Minimising construction and domestic waste.
Managing the indoor environmental quality of building, including air=
quality, lighting, thermal conditions, pollutants and ergonomics, and the =
effects of these elements on building occupants.
Encouraging innovation.
Placing livability, adaptability and resilience at the core of good =
building design.
The Building Standards:
Extend the sustainability targets for energy and water set by the Build=
ing Sustainability Index (BASIX), which is the sustainable planning measure=
implemented under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. BASIX app=
lies to all residential dwellings and is part of the development applicatio=
n process in NSW. https://www.basix.nsw.gov.au/=
Incorporate lessons learned from other assessment tools in common use, =
and from the building standards of other ecovillages, community association=
s and green developments including Lochiel Park, South Australia; Aldinga A=
rts Eco Village; The Bend Neighbourhood Association BEND; The Ecovillage at=
Currumbin; Green Star; BASIX; STEPS & BESS
Have been independently reviewed by external reviewers, including exper=
ienced sustainability Architects and Builders
Like BASIX, the Building Standards establish mandatory minimums standard=
s for some sustainability elements.
BASIX requires a 40% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and town wate=
r usage for a standard NSW house. This standard was set in 2004, and NSW ha=
s fallen behind other states in energy efficiency standards that were adopt=
ed in 2011.
The Building Standards have benchmarked reductions like those used in th=
e state of Victoria=E2=80=99s Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard (B=
ESS) and we have set an initial reduction level compared to the BASIX stand=
ard 2004 house, at:
Narara Ecovillage infrastructure incorporates advanced smart grid techno=
logy which uses a variety of operational and energy measures including smar=
t meters, smart appliances, and renewable energy resources to control the p=
roduction and distribution of electricity within the NEV mini-grid
A schedule of smart grid compatible equipment, inclu=
ding smart meters and inverters is located on the wiki. The page is maintai=
ned and updated by NEV so that Lot Owners can be informed on the correct eq=
uipment to choose for installation in their home to achieve the maximum ben=
efit from the smart grid.
The village engaged the services of Hill Thalis in developing the overal=
l design concept plan for the village.
Key guidelines developed as part of the design concept plan have been in=
corporated into the NEV Building standards. The following are now assessed =
as part of the design review.
Street setback at least 3m
Northern boundary setback an average of at least 3m
Southern boundary setback an average of at least 0.9m
Rear boundary setback 6m for lots with common garden or 2m
Fencing discouraged
Building footprint less than 40% of lot size
Site coverage less than 45% of lot size
Internal house area maximum 180sqm =E2=80=93 150sqm preferred
Dual occupancy =E2=80=93 maximum of 240sqm =E2=80=93 180sqm prefrred
Secondary dwelling =E2=80=93 maximum of 120sqm =E2=80=93 70sqm prefrred=
Building height =E2=80=93 8m
Solar access & overshadowing =E2=80=93 more than 3 hours of winter =
solstice sun to major living areas of all houses
Note: setbacks are calculated to the external wall of t=
he dwelling excluding any external decking or verandahs.
The home designs of Lot Owners are assessed against the Building Standar=
ds using the Design Assessment Scoresheet.
The Scoresheet measures the resources that a NEV dwelling uses, and cons=
iders the house energy emissions and water consumption in a similar manner =
to the 2004 BASIX benchmark, but seeks an initial reduction of estimated co=
nsumption that is less than 70% of the BASIX 2004 benchmark for both. Goals=
for each category in the Scoresheet are provided in Table 1 of the NEV Building Standar=
ds.
Scoresheets may be filled out by either the lot owners, the lot owner=E2=
=80=99s design consultant(s). The Lot Owner is responsible for any cost inc=
urred in completing the NEV Scoresheet.
The scorecard includes 3 ratings that new=
homes must achieve. They are:
At least a 7-stars NatHERS rating for =
building thermal performance.
Reduce water consumption through installation of the highest rated W=
ELS tap.
This requirement will be assessed using BASIX (which is the =
Department of Planning and Environment=E2=80=99s building sustainability in=
dex tool used by all local Councils when approving housing developments in =
NSW).
Energy generated by a home exceeds annual average consumption. =
Typically, solar photovoltaic panels (PV) will be used by home owner=
s at Narara to generate power. To meet mandatory requirements, we cal=
l for PV sets to be sized at 2 kWp for the first bedroom and 1kWp for each =
additional bedroom.
Compliance with these 3 requirements will=
yield home designers 37 points on our assessment scorecard. =
p>
With 37 points achieved through designing=
in the mandatory performance items, the home designer then needs to achiev=
e a further 33 points to reach the minimum targeted score of 70 points.&nbs=
p; The additional points are attained by adopting design strategies support=
ed by the option matrix provided in the Design Assessment Scoreshee=
t. Many options and combination of options are supported by the sc=
oresheet and Lot Owners are encouraged to discuss with their designer the e=
lements that best suit their requirements. Some, though not all, of the ava=
ilable options are presented below:
More bedrooms and smaller homes
Appropriate selection of construction materials
Reduce embodied energy in house construction.
Using sustainable materials such as mud-brick, straw bale and cob et=
c.
Avoiding material with high human health impact such as VOC paints a=
nd PVC piping.
Adding more than the mandatory number of solar photovoltaic panels.<=
/p>
Selection of high star rated appliances (clothes dryers, air conditi=
oners for example) or not having them at all.
Managed energy consumption to reduce peak loads.
Management waste during both home construction and after constructio=
n.
Maximising the home=E2=80=99s environment quality through solar acce=
ss and cross ventilation.
Livability considerations such as permitting disability access in th=
e future.
Bonus points have been built into the sco=
recard to account for the fact that some home owners may have difficulty in=
reaching 70 points because, for example, the NatHERS star rating system do=
es not recognise innovations such as earth-ship construction, food producti=
on, water tanks and composting toilets.
The Building Review Panel will assess=
the lot owners design against the following criteria
The owner must demonstrate that they have consulted with the owners in =
neighbourhood and that neighbours have been given the opportunity to propos=
e changes to the design to resolve any concerns they may hold.
The design has achieved a minimum NatHERs 7star rating
The design has a NSW Govt BASIX certificate
The design meets the Hill Thalis guidelines
The design has achieved a score of at least 70 points in the NEV Design=
Assessment Scoresheet
The landscape design conforms to the NEV Landscape standards
Narara Ecovillage will also calculate the average score of all dwellings=
in the community by using the scores provided for individual lots by Lot O=
wners.
The Ecovillage may also be assessed against additional criteria; includi=
ng:
Food (where the ecovillage will grow some of its food) and
&nb=
sp;The Narara Ecovillage Building Approval Process is shown in Figur=
e 1.
A significant test in building sustainable communities is how Lot Owners=
deal with their neighbours when placing and sizing their homes. The approv=
al pathway sets down a requirement for Lot Owners to participate in a neigh=
bourhood exchange at early stage of their home design and we recommend the =
exchange is facilitated by a design professional.
The aim of the exchange is to optimise the location of houses on l=
ots to achieve equity across the neighbourhood in respect of solar access a=
nd overshadowing, and to consolidate at an early stage of the design consid=
eration of both Hill Thalis and Central Coast Councils building setbacks an=
d building envelopes and incorporation of common garden and services easeme=
nts.
The Building Review Panel=E2=80=99s recommendation with respect of acces=
s to sunlight is set out in <=
span style=3D"color: rgb(0,0,255);">Appendix 3 =E2=80=93 Solar Access of these Building Standards. While the criteria are guidel=
ines only and not mandatory they should inform each neighbourhood exchange.=
The neighbourhoods for Stage 1 have been agreed and are available in the=
Wiki.
Outcomes from the Facilitated Exchange are to be documented in a Neighbo=
urhood Agreement, which states the placement and size of Lot Owners=E2=80=
=99 homes and associated structures across the entire neighbourhood.
Experience has shown that whilst the neighbourhood agreement represents =
an aspiration, individual lot owners retain the right to vary their design =
if required. Their design must meet as a minimum the requirements outlined =
in the building standards.
The objective of this step is to prepare all documents needed for the Lo=
t Owner to tender their building works and to gain NEV=E2=80=99s building a=
pproval and Council=E2=80=99s development consent.
NaTHERS and BASIX certificates are to be obtained by the Lot Owner at their cost as p=
art of their design development. A list of NatHERS assessors located on the=
Central Coast is found online at <=
a class=3D"unresolved" href=3D"#">Buil=
ding Standards - NatHERS Assessors wiki page.
Lot Owners also complete the Design Assessment Scoresheet and provide an=
y documentation needed to support the information provided in the scoreshee=
t.
The Sustainable Design Appraiser assi=
gned to a Lot Owner is available to assist the owner in completing the scor=
esheet and is responsible for ensuring all the owners design documents are =
complete and meeting the minimum standards required are ready for review by=
the Building Review Panel. The design will then be reviewed and endorsed b=
y the Building Review Panel. If approved design documents of the owner are =
then stamped with the NEV Building Standards Certificate. If issues are not=
ed, the Lot Owner can resubmit the design documents after responding to the=
issues raised or the Lot Owner has the right to take the issues to the Bui=
lding Appeal Committee.
Once NEV=E2=80=99s Building Standards Certificate is is affixed to the d=
esign drawings, the Lot Owner can proceed to lodge their plans with Council=
.
Once the Council=E2=80=99s Develop=
ment Approval (DA) is obtained the Lot owner will then need to obtain a Con=
struction Certificate and lodge the Builder=E2=80=99s Bond with NEV &n=
bsp;to proceed with the building works. A site induction will be provided f=
or the Lot Owner and builder.&nbs=
p;
Once the building works are completed and an Occupancy Certifica=
te(OC) is issued, the Lot Owner sends the OC to the Building Review Panel, =
and the home can be occupied and enjoyed.
Energy use will be monitored by NEV Power. In a situation where energy u=
se significantly varies from design expectations, the Community Association=
may review energy consumption with the Lot Owner to determine where the va=
riance from design occurs, and to establish strategies for reducing the dem=
and for power.
Differential charges for power may also be applied, with higher rates ch=
arged when consumption is more than an agreed limit.
Lot Owners are to lodge a refundable bond (currently $1,000) =
with the Community Association. This is to manage potential damage to Commu=
nity Association and Co-operative owned property within the ecovillage site=
caused by a Lot Owner=E2=80=99s building works.
Where damage to Common property or Co-operative Property has occurred be=
cause of building activity, the Lot Owner shall ensure such damage is recti=
fied in full before the bond is refunded.
Lot Owners may also wish to engage a building inspector to independently=
check that their work proceeds in accordance with approved construction dr=
awings and specifications, and with the Construction Management Plan.
The Lot Owner is to arrange for suppo=
rting documents required for the building approval to be made available to =
the Building Review Panel in electronic pdf format. Documents mu=
st be transferred by the lot Owner to their dedicated NextCloud folder crea=
ted for each lot by the Community Association.
Documents may be provided together or progressively in accordance with t=
he NEV approval process.<=
/p>
i)  =
; Th=
e Neighbourhood Agreement
ii) &nbs=
p;Supporting document requirements by Council for either a:
Development Application, or
Complying Development Application.
iii) Bas=
ix Certificate
iv) NatH=
ERs Certificate
v) Desi=
gn Statement addressing:
Energy Demand Assessment
Smart Grid Equipment Selections
Stormwater & Water Management Strategy
Building Materials Selection
Light and Ventilation Strategy
vi) &nbs=
p; Construction Management Plan
vii) NE=
V Scoresheet endorsed by your Sustainable Design Appraiser.
viii) Support=
ing documents if relied on in NEV Scoresheet. Including:
Liveable Housing Certificate
Innovation Strategy Statement
ix) A statutory approval certificate:
Council=E2=80=99s Development Consent, or
A statutory certifier=E2=80=99s statement of a Complying Development
x) NEV=E2=80=99s Design Confirmation Certificate.
xi) Construction Certificate=20
xiv) Builders details or, in the case of Owner Builders, their subcontract=
or details, including:
Contact details:
Company name,
Primary contacts name,
mobile number,
email address.
Statement of Currency for insurance including: Public & Product Lia=
bility; Vehicle insurance; Workers Compensation.
xv) The construction management plan signed in agreement by the Lot Owne=
r=E2=80=99s Builder.
xvi) Bond lodgement to address damage to the Community Property.
NEV=E2=80=99s Community Management Statement establishes several roles t=
o oversee the design approval process within the ecovillage and assigns to =
those roles some key responsibilities. A summary of those roles and r=
esponsibilities follow.
The Building Review Panel (the Panel) is empowered by the Community Asso=
ciation to review Lot Owners=E2=80=99 designs prior to submission of those =
designs to Council for development consent. Members of the Building Review =
Panel must be qualified SDA=E2=80=99s. The Panel's approval or d=
isapproval of designs is made solely on the matters set out in the Communit=
y Association=E2=80=99s By-laws, its Rules and Building and Landscape Stand=
ards referenced in the Community Management Statement
A Lot Owner can make a submission to the Panel concerning their design f=
or the Panel=E2=80=99s consideration.
The Panel must provide its decision in writing to the Lot Owner within 4=
0 days of receiving all documentation required in support of an approval ap=
plication.
Designs are deemed approved unless the Panel provides a written disappro=
val or requests additional information for the Lot Owner.
The Panel can impose conditions on its approval.
The Building Review Panel maintains a list of accredited Sustainab=
le Design Appraisers (SDAs) who have been trained in the NEV building Stand=
ards and are available to assist the owner in preparing the documentation r=
equired for the Building Review Panel to conduct their review of Lot Owners=
designs described above. =
span>
The Building Appeals Committee hears Lot Owners appeals against decision=
s made by the Building Review Panel.
An appeal application fee of $300 applies to any appeal raised by a Lot =
Owner, of which 50% is refundable if the appeal is successful.
On determining an appeal, the Committee will notify the Lot Owner, the B=
uilding Review Panel and the Executive Committee of the outcome, and may ma=
ke recommendations to the Community Association regarding exemptions from o=
r changes to the Building Standards in regards to the appeal.
A Lot Owner may make application to the Building Review Panel or Buildin=
g Appeals Committee requesting changes to the Building Standards applying t=
o the standards generally or to their own lot. On receiving such a re=
quest, the Building Review Panel must refer the request to the Executive Co=
mmittee for determination by the members in a General Meeting by Special Re=
solution.
In practical terms, Sustainable Design Appraisers are at the forefront o=
f the Ecovillage=E2=80=99s building approval process.
They are to assess the wide variety of building techniques it is hoped L=
ot Owners will present for approval, and they are asked by the Building Rev=
iew Panel to welcome innovation in building design and to assist with its i=
mplementation. They are required to understand the background to a Lot Owne=
r=E2=80=99s design approach, and to support the reasonable requirements of =
a Lot Owner.
While Lot Owners are expected to make all reasonable endeavours to achie=
ve the outcomes of the Building Standards, if the situation denies them the=
ability to do so, they should discuss the issue with their SDA and the Bui=
lding Review Panel as soon as possible, so that alternative arrangements ca=
n be discussed and wherever possible implemented.
A list of Sustainable Design Appraisers is maintained by the Building Re=
view Panel. Members of the Building Review Panel must be qualified SDA=E2=
=80=99s. The list is displayed on the Building Review Panel=E2=80=99s Wiki =
page.
Beyond the minimum requirements set out in the NEV=E2=80=99s building ap=
proval pathway, the extent of engagement between Lot Owners and SDAs is sol=
ely at the discretion of lot owners. It is expected, however, that SDAs wil=
l assist each other in their dealings with Lot Owners. At the discretion of=
lot owners, several SDAs can engage with a lot owner when discussing Build=
ing Standard matters - accessing the wisdom of the many.
SDAs are recruited through an Expression of Interest process. For select=
ion, a candidate demonstrates technical skill in the interpretation of dome=
stic building plans and specification and a working understanding of NatHER=
S, BASIX and the statutory approval process in NSW for residential dwelling=
s. Once recruited, the SDA is further trained through workshops and worked =
assessments commissioned by NEV to achieve a standardized approac=
h to the assessment of building designs.
Once trained, the SDA demonstrate their ongoing competency through their=
knowledge of the NEV building approval process and their ability to engage=
with lot owners in an efficient and productive way, supporting lot owners =
throughout their project, from the time of the initial site assessment to t=
he day of occupation.
The primary role of the SDA is to champion the NEV Building Standards wi=
thin the NEV community by providing ongoing advice and guidance to lot owne=
rs on how the objectives of Building Standards can be achieved.
The core responsibility of the SDA is to demonstrate veracity in reviewi=
ng and endorsing completed NEV Scoresheets.
NEV's building standards and building approval processes are addressed i=
n our Community Management Statement, the following by-laws being relevant:=
Part 3
By-Law 17. New constructions by community association
By-Law 18. Construction on association property
By-Law 19. Internal fencing
Part 4
By-Law 36 - Building & Landscape Standards
By-Law 37 - Building Review Panel
By-Law 38 - Alterations to Building & Landscape Standards
By-Law 39 - Current Copy of Building & Landscape Standards
By-Law 40 - Building Appeals Committee
By-Law 41 - Conflict Of Interest Committee
Informal and formal approval appeals mechanism are available to Lot Owne=
rs and the following key points are noted:
i)  =
; Both Lot Owners and Sustainable Design Appraisers (SDAs)=
can seek the opinion of the Building Review Panel on any design and approv=
al matter arising during the Lot Owner=E2=80=99s engagement with SDAs throu=
ghout the entire design and construction of their project.
ii) &nbs=
p; The Building Review Panel at its discretion can make Interim =
Arrangements with Lot Owner on design matter prior to the formal submission=
of a design subject to the Interim Arrangement:
Not contravening either the Building Standards nor the Landscape Standa=
rds; and
Being made available to the whole NEV Community via publication on the =
Building Review Panels wiki page.
iii) &nb=
sp;A Lot Owner may also make application to the Building Review Panel reque=
sting additions or alterations to the Building Standards or the Landscape S=
tandards applying either generally or to Lot Owners design. In response the=
Building Review Panel will refer the application to the Executive Committe=
e of the Community Association for determination by members in a General Me=
eting by Special Resolution.
iv) &nbs=
p;If the matter cannot be resolved by the Building Review Panel then the Lo=
t Owner can make a written application to the Building Appeals Committee.=
p>
The Conflict of Interest provisions of=
the Community Management Statement apply to NEV Building Approval pathways=
. Building Review Panel, Building Appeals Committee and SDA memb=
ers must remove themselves from any approval process in which they have an =
interest.
The editing permission for this page is controlled by the BRP. The page =
and its attachment is uncontrolled when printed or when saved on a personal=
electronic device. =
a>
The pages revision history can viewed at this <link>