Ecos sustainable showhome, Auckland
PROJECT:
Ecos Sustainable Showhome, Whangaparoa
ARCHITECT: Malcolm
McAull, Ecos Homes
CARPET:
Tarascan, textured loop pile
"Ecos Homes audits products for
their environmental credentials and Cavalier Bremworth's Tarascan
loop pile carpet was chosen for its durability - its hard-wearing
longevity fits with our desire to use products that are built to
last."

Building a house to withstand extreme wind loading may seem
over-engineering to many New Zealand architects (especially
'knock-em up' developers) , but Malcolm McAll of Ecos Homes
believes future proofing for climate change is a must. Recent
climate events in Australia lend weight to his view.
The award-winning UK architect has been resident in New Zealand
for three years and has just completed the first Ecos show home
designed specifically for local conditions. He was involved
with the formation of the ECOS Trust in the UK in 2000 as an
educational charity, its mission "to make sustainable development
the norm by 2010". In 2004 ECOS Homes was established in the
UK to build exemplar sustainable developments giving equal weight
to environmental and social issues.
"Our Whangaparoa show home marks the launch of a range of houses
which aim to promote design and build techniques that give a better
quality of life and reduce environmental impact: two things we
should all be aiming for," he says.
"The intention has been to evolve the most durable and trusted New
Zealand building tradition of the villa style and create housing
that brings together traditional detailing with decades of research
and the latest technology."
McAll says the six-bedroom house is designed to cope with extremes
of weather and is carbon-positive using photo-voltaic panels for
grid-tied electricity and solar water heating. The timber
frame is 50% thicker than standard and the amount of timber in the
house is 150% more than a traditional house. The clay
tile roof is designed to last 150 years and the timber joinery he
claims could last for 150 years with good care.

"Ecos Homes audits products for their environmental credentials
and Cavalier Bremworth's Tarascan loop pile carpet was chosen for
its durability - its hard-wearing longevity fits with our desire to
use products that are built to last.
"It is a beautiful New Zealand wool product, the feel of it
underfoot is luxurious and the colour is rich and warm, which
complements the room settings. When we've got good quality, natural
and sustainable materials on our doorstep it makes sense to use
them.
"Ecos Homes is all about building and living sustainably. This
not only means using products from renewable resources but also
fostering local employment and minimising the energy used."