THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
FROM NECA
NARROW HOUSE SENDS A POWERFUL MESSAGE
Ian Johnson EcoSmart Electrician Manager, NECA Vic
NECA EcoSmart Electricians are a proud
project partner in the 5×4 Project in
East Melbourne. In this article Ian
Johnson provides an insight into some
of the characteristics of this world
class building.
Built on a plot measuring just 5×4 metres
and set over three floors with a roof
garden, this innovative dwelling and
workplace was developed to demonstrate
and encourage discussion around how
to achieve sustainable living and healthy
densification in a city.
Concept
The 5×4 Hayes Lane Project is a
unique, inner-city dwelling set on an
unusually small footprint – 5×4 meters!
The entire build is designed, built
and powered with passive and active
eco-driven processes, materials and
performance considerations.
The 5×4 Hayes Lane Project demonstrates
and encourages discussion around
sustainable living, a healthy form of
densification in the city of Melbourne and
how to achieve it through best practice
design and living.
It uses One Planet Living principles as
its guide for the physical design of the
project, adaptation around behaviour to
reduce ecological footprints in a city,
and acts as a platform to disseminate
progress and learnings from the process.
To gain an insight into the principle of one
planet living visit bioregional.com
Zero Carbon in Use
To help keep the building warm in winter
and cool during Melbourne’s fierce
summer heat, this is a well-sealed, superinsulated house which uses phasechange materials in the walls. They turn
from liquid to solid as the building warms
and cools, absorbing heat when it heats
up and releasing it when it cools down.
When the home is sealed off from
the exterior heat or cold, mechanical
ventilation with heat recovery keeps
the air inside fresh.
"The 5×4 Hayes Lane
Project demonstrates and
encourages discussion
around sustainable living, a
healthy form of densification
in the city of Melbourne and
how to achieve it through best
practice design and living."
Even so, the house requires some heating
in the winter months and some cooling
in summer by blowing warmed or cooled
air through the home. This relies on an
electrically powered ground-source heat
pump with twin boreholes extending
65 metres below the house to circulate
water through the pump. In summer the
heat pump sheds the heat generated from
cooling the house below the ground while
in winter it uses the abundant low grade
heat in the earth to warm the 5×4 home.
It is estimated over the year, the
electricity generated by the photovoltaic
panels (with 4 kilowatt peak output)
should more than cover the total
electricity consumption. The home has
high efficiency electrical appliances and
LED lighting throughout.
Client and Builder
Ralph Alphonso is acting as project
manager and owner builder of this project.
His motivation to build a sustainable
house with the smallest carbon footprint
had him draw on his experiences through
Barley Store, to communicate and brin