Goal: As part of the Stage 2 full-cycle approach for building your home, these regular meetings have begun so that members can share their designs and lessons learned. The loose format is a member's talk about their home; an expert speaking about some topic; and a Q&A workshop for members to bring their ideas forward or questions about their house design.
Page Structure
We will put the presentations and videos here for each meeting within the week after, and also try to find other talks and material about members' home and collate it here for all to benefit.
Circles and teams
- Sustainable Design Appraisers (SDAs) – help with your design and scorecard
- Building Review Panel (BRP) – if your design meets the standard, BRP stamps your drawings before they go the State planning portal
- Member building meetings - monthly forum for members to design home, learn, include experts and arrange speakers
- Member Building Group – members, SDAs, and experts (Architects, engineers, builders, assessors, designers) to help members with designs
- Members and non-members are welcome
Regular Bi-Monthly Meetings on NEV Building Design - 4th Sat
One of the popular changes to the building standards was that the current level of support in helping members should be increased, with regular meetings, and communication in various media including in SLACK, in the NELN newsletter and in Despatch emails.
Members are keen to share their designs and are rewarded in our scoresheet for doing this, so these will present opportunities for this, as well as benefits to newer members designing their homes.
Member Building Workshop
Contents (slides, videos)
1. a) Heat-proof house and b) Variety of homes in Stage 1
2. Lowering Building Costs at NEV
3. Designing Sustainable Healthy Homes
5. Could a Worker Co-op assist with Stage 2
6. How to pass the Building Standards with the scoresheet - an example
Members Building Workshop 6
Sat 25/6/23 - 12:50pm for 1-3:30pm - Mbr Building Workshop
6. How to pass the Building Standards with the scoresheet - an example
One members home will be applied to the scoresheet to show members how to pass the Building Standards. Home TBD.
Expert talk (TBD)
Panel and Q&A.
Members Building Workshop 5
Sat 22/10/22 - Mbr Building Workshop
5. Could a Worker Co-op assist with Stage 2
Several workers discussed how this might work, and the pros and cons (e.g. overcoming worker and material shortages, sharing resources, distributing profits, training members, having employment opportunities for younger members. While there might not be a builder licence initially, it could assist Owner Builders).
There will be more discussions in 2023
Video - Spanish Mondragon example - 3 min video clip - streams to any device
Members Building Workshop 4
Sat 27/8/22 - Mbr Building Workshop
4. Designing a Passive House
Architect and Passive House expert Andy Marlow presented how the proposed Stage 2 and new BASIX design approach of Passive House can be used instead of using NatHERS. Andy presented the advantages of living in a Passive House home, and replayed an interview he had made with Tony and Theresa Farrell's home where they walked thru the hone showing its design features and ventilation system.
There was an interesting discussion.
Presentations
Andy's Presentation
Videos
Videos can be streamed to any device:
- Pt 1 Andy https://vimeo.com/743801762/4253a37d3e
- Pt 2 Andy https://vimeo.com/743801861/886f977cdb
- Andy interview with Tony & Teresa and house walk-thru https://vimeo.com/743801955/45dce904a0
Other Resources
CSIRO seminar video on Sealing and Ventilation - https://ahd.csiro.au/seal-it-tight-and-ventilate-right/
Members Building Workshop 3
Sat 25/6/22 - Mbr Building Workshop
3. Designing Sustainable Healthy Homes
Minimising the risk of moisture issues etc, balancing ventilation with how tightly sealed a home is, with the local climatic conditions (e.g. cold nights).
We had great talks from experts Dr Mark Dewsbury and Member Building Biologist, Mikala Dind. We also reviewed the ventilation systems of members Geoff Cameron and Tony and Theresa Farrell, but unfortunately they were not available to attend.
The main slides are here with details of the member ventilation systems, including calculations at the end that show how to design your own ventilation system (we ran out of time to cover this in the workshop).
Presentations
Mark's slides are here
Mikala's slides are here
Videos
Here are the Vimeo LINKS (in blue) for the videos - they can be streamed to any device, or you can listen to the video file on your phone, like a podcast:
Intro and Agenda - John Shiel - 2 mins - slides are above
Designing Healthy Homes - Dr Mark Dewsbury - 30 mins - slides are above
Healthy Homes - Mikala Dind - 20 mins - slides are above
Member homes - Geoff Cameron Home Walthru and Tony and Theresa Farrell System
Members Building Workshop 2
Sat 23/4/22 - Mbr Building Workshop
2. Lowering Building Costs at NEV
The case study was by George Gilmour on Overcoming Owner Builder Cost Challenges
Architecture expert and Building Standards Consultant Graham Hunt will also speak about lowering costs, with respect to design, builders and materials.
Attendees discussed their status and designs, and there was good feedback about the day.
Presentations
George's Presentation is:
Graham's Presentation is:
Videos
Here are the 2 Vimeo LINKS for the 2 videos - they can be streamed to any device, or you can listen to the video file on your phone:
George Gilmour - Overcoming Owner Builder Cost Challenges - 50 mins
Graham Hunt - Building Affordably - 50 mins
Cost Estimating Spreadsheet - Eilean Watson with input from experts
2022 Watson-Home and Land Cost Estimation Spreadsheet
Members Building Workshop 1
1. a) Heat-proof house and b) Variety of homes in Stage 1
Sat 26/2/22 - 12:50pm for 1-3:30pm via Zoom
Dan & Deb Mohr's home design - 74% reduction in NatHERS cooling load
How to design a sustainable heatwave proof house (80% reduction in NatHERS cooling energy). Includes a video clip of Graham Hunt explaining the main features to keep the house cool.
Plus overview of houses in Stage 1 (materials, design features) - from John Shiel
Plus breakout rooms and Q&A.
Videos
Introduction - John Shiel - 4 mins, 30MB download
Dan Mohr's video - 45 mins, 350MB download
Graham Hunt's short video clip on technical features - 30 seconds, 11MB
John Shiel's variety of houses and materials in Stage 1 video 15 mins, 130MB
Powerpoints
Variety of houses and materials in Stage 1- John Shiel - sustainable houses
Graham Hunt's pptx on technical features
Dan Mohr's presentation (TBD)