Steve Driscoll, Sustainability and Policy Director for Landcom said, “The partnership that Landcom has formed with Clarendon to build the Benchmark home has resulted in a very successful relationship that is transforming the way the public and project housing industry view clever designs that encompass practical and sustainable elements. The accolade received from the HIA demonstrates that the housing industry acknowledges the importance of the universal housing concept which can be successfully applied to any home.”
“The Benchmark home was the first display home funded by Landcom which included the universal housing concept. Universal housing refers to homes that are practical and flexible. They meet the needs of people of different ages and abilities over time. Importantly, they allow occupants to live in the one dwelling during the entire lifecycle.”
“Landcom now uses this concept across all of its developments and is also witnessing industry partners and individual home owners now using the universal housing concept too in their dwellings. The organisation plans to make universal homes the ‘norm’ not the exception in new residential communities,” he added.
Shaila Divakarla, Design Sustainability Specialist from Clarendon Homes said,” The award from HIA recognises the importance of housing to address the needs of a growing aging population in an innovative and sustainable way by considering these as an essential part of designing and building a good home. This joint venture with Landcom and other project partners provided a great opportunity for Clarendon to showcase simple but clever design concepts and building practices and make them accessible to the project housing market.”
Some of the universal housing features in the Benchmark home include level transition between indoor and outdoor areas suitable for wheelchairs and strollers, wider external and internal doors and spacious and open planned living areas. The living room on the ground floor can be easily converted into a full universal size bedroom, while the powder room on the same level can be converted to a full universal bathroom. This area can also accommodate a fully-fledged ensuite with sufficient circulation space and layout of fixtures for people with disabilities. Waterproofing and drainage for a shower are incorporated into the linen cupboard which allows for conversion into a shower recess at a later date.
Landcom is funding the Eco-Living Display Homes project which will feature three homes when complete, all of which feature universal housing and sustainability principles. The other two homes, Greencycle and Net-Zero, which will stretch industry and consumer thinking on sustainability, are expected to be completed prior to Christmas.
The Greencycle home will feature building materials and products that are environmentally friendly, have a high recycled content and are capable of being recycled at the end of their life.
The Net-Zero emissions home will challenge the way the industry thinks about homes. It will be smaller and smarter and showcase leading-edge design and technologies to create net zero emissions and a net zero emissions water home.
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