Display period

Official opening: 17 August 2007
Public opening: 25 August 2007
Opening times: 10am to 4pm
Display days: Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday (other times by appointment)
Expected Closure: June 2010

Project summary

Gall Medek Architects have designed Sustainable Home Toowoomba. In addition, their commission includes setting the sustainability criteria for three lots alongside the demonstration home and another nine adjoining allotments.

On the 17 January 2006 Council approved the design for Sustainable Home Toowoomba. Construction of the house will commence early in 2006 on the site adjacent to Council's nursery in Ramsay Street, with completion of the house expected in September. Following construction, the house will be opened as a display home to show Toowoomba residents and visitors that sustainable housing has many energy saving features and environmental benefits.

Being a council project, the house will be viewed by the community as an interpretation of the ideal Toowoomba home. Consequently, consideration is to be given in the design to capturing the good elements of existing house design in Toowomba. This is likely to influence the material selection and other aspects of the design.

Key facts

Climate zone
Warm temperate – Climate Zone 5

Project coordinator
Toowoomba City Council (http://www.toowoomba.qld.gov.au)

Architect
Gall Medek Architects (http://www.gallandmedek.com.au)

Construction
Commenced: September 2006
Completion: August 2007

Design workshop

Several design workships have been held since July 2005 with participants including builders, architects, designers and members of the community. A number of concept designs were produced and out of these a single storey option was selected.

Design features

The home will incorporate three bedrooms, a study / guest room and two bathrooms to meet the local target market of second and third home buyers with a medium income, two children and committed to living and working in the city. The designs will have readily accessible areas making it easier to move around within the home.

Sponsorship

Council received a significant number of offers from local suppliers in goods towards Sustainable Home Toowoomba.

Key objective

The Toowoomba sustainable Home project has the potential to be a successful marketing tool not only to the general public, but all of those associated with the general mass housing market, including developers, consultants and builders, proving that sustainability within the home can be easily achieved with little effort and cost and retains a high degree of familiarity to the average house buyer.

Issue

In Toowomba, large variances in temperature are an issue with temperatures ranging from 39 degrees to minus four.

Land

Toowoomba City Council will be seeking expressions of interest for the sale of the remaining lots. The offers from interested parties will need to address the sustainability criteria that the architect provides and will be reviewed and assessed on that basis. Gall Medek Architects will provide advice during the design stage of subsequent homes and undertake inspections during construction to confirm that sustainable features are being incorporated.