Projects> Livingstone

Location

2 Kookaburra Drive, Yeppoon (Central Queensland).

Display period

Now closed

Project summary

Sustainable Home Livingstone will be prominently located at 2 Kookaburra Drive, Yeppoon, in Council's 'Capricorn Gardens' residential estate.

In January 2006, Rockhampton Regional Council appointed Latitude Homes as the designers for the house through a tendering process. Council then appointed Latitude Homes in November 2006 as the successful builder to construct Sustainable Home Livingstone. Latitude Homes are already renowned locally for affordable, sustainable housing design, and they have an established local network of product suppliers and services.

Apart from its integrated sustainable design features, Sustainable Home Livingstone includes:

4-bedrooms, 2-bathrooms
double garage with internal access
outdoor living area

Demographic

Rockhampton Regional Council covers a total area of 11,775 km² and includes the urban centres of Yeppoon and Emu Park. The Shire is projected to record the highest average annual rate of growth in the Rockhampton and Capricorn Coast region (includes Rockhampton City and Livingstone, Mt Morgan and Fitzroy Shires), between 2001 and 2026.

Over the past 3 years, the Capricorn Coast has seen a significant shift in the demographic makeup of its homebuyers. Much of this change can be attributed to three principal drivers:

sea change associated with migration from the southern states and western Queensland
housing needs associated with the massive growth of mining in the Bowen Basin
change in lifestyle choices

Currently the region's housing demand is dominantly being driven by the mining sector, where families choose to reside on the Capricorn Coast, with one family member travelling to a mine site to work and return during rostered breaks.

Key objective

The Livingstone community is gaining a greater awareness of sustainable development principles, and the real need for sustainable living. The Sustainable Home Livingstone project provides an excellent opportunity to support this objective through its practical demonstration to influence local housing industry providers and the community about the benefits of sustainable design and construction. The home is aimed to be affordable, contemporary and appealing. Its design features and their benefits can be viewed for both the new home and renovations/retrofit market.

Key facts

Climate zone
Sub-tropical – Climate Zone 2

Project manager
Rockhampton Regional Council

Architect/designer
Latitude Homes

Builder and consultant partner
Latitude Homes

Supply sponsors

Roadtest
Tradelink North Rockhampton
Wattyl Australia Pty Ltd
Smartflo Gutters
Creepy Crawly Pest Control
Waztec Services
Queensland Windows
Ten Commandments Granite & Marble
Aqua Pumping & Solar
Power Saving Centre
Metro Tiles Yeppoon
Waztec Services
The Good Guys Rockhampton
Greg Hoare Insulation
Smiths Designer Kitchens

Bedrooms
4-bedroom

Bathrooms
2-bathrooms

Construction type
TBC

Construction phase
Commenced: November 2006
Completed: July 2007

Lot size
Land: 1015m²

House size
Living space: 180 m²
Garage: 40 m²
Total Floor Area (GFA): 220 m²
Covered outdoor area: 50 m²

Land cost
Approx. $100,000

Construction cost
Approx. $350,000

Estate
Capricorn Gardens Estate

Design workshops

Rockhampton Regional Council and Latitude Homes held 2 half-day shopfronts in March 2006 at the Keppel Bay Plaza Shopping Centre to publically announce the Sustainable Home Livingstone project, and the key messages of the statewide Sustainable Homes program.

Council and Latitude Homes then held the 'Livingstone Sustainable Home Show & Design Preview' in April 2006 to publicly launch the preliminary designs for Sustainable Home Livingstone, including gaining feedback on its design. More than 160 people attended the evening, making it one of the most successful community consultation sessions the Program has seen.

Council has also attended several local festivals and expo's through a display stall promoting Sustainable Home Livingstone, which also provided general sustainable housing information. These events included:

Farnborough Village Arts Festival (1-2 July 2006)
Rocky Home Show & Outdoor Adventure Expo (18-20 August 2006)
Yeppoon EcoLiving Expo ( 27 August 2006 )

Project milestones

Design endorsement of Sustainable Home Livingstone – 15 th August 2006.
Sod Turning Ceremony – 20 th November 2006.

Sustainable Design features

Sustainable Home Livingstone's sustainable design features include:

climate-sensitive, passive design to reduce expensive heating and cooling bills. This includes a double skillion roof with a central access/breezeway to maximise cross-ventilation. The elevated, north facing roof will have clerestory windows allowing natural lighting, as well as expelling hot air from the ceiling level in the living areas to naturally provide cooler rooms.
functional and multi-use spaces promoting flexibility over the occupant’s life stages.
an entrance to enable the garage to provide a physical barrier to the hot western sun, as well as improving the home’s visual appeal to the street.
open plan kitchen, dining and living spaces that are defined by low partition walls and screening between structural mini-walls.
wider doorways and hallways for ease of access, that are integral social design features, as well as being part of the overall open-plan feel of the home.
good shading and eave overhangs to assist in keeping the home naturally cooler in summer.
uses standard size materials to prevent construction waste.

Rainwater tanks
Size: 2x10,000 litre tanks.
Application: Outdoor use on the gardens & indoor use in the toilets & washing machine.

Hot water system
Solar hot water system (electric boosted)

House Energy Rating
5-star energy efficiency (BERS rated)

Internal environment
Internal features include:

energy efficient lighting
insulation in walls and ceiling
sustainably harvested timber framing
AAA-rated kitchen, bathroom and laundry fixtures
AAAA-rated dual flush toilets
wet areas grouped together for water efficiency and ease of installation
step-free entrances and wider doorways/hallways to allow for the future needs of the family throughout their different life stages, as well as the temporary needs of ill or injured family members and visitors

External environment
Landscaping will include local natives and plants that require minimal water. Greywater will be collected and treated before being used to sub-surface irrigate gardens.