Trends New Zealand Trends Volume 31 No 13 New Zealand | Page 74
Ten out of ten
Designed by Bob Burnett Architecture, this sustainable home won
the first ever Ten Star Homestar build rating – everything from
the glazing and windows to the wood finish played a part
Above: Planet friendly – this home
features a plethora of green features
including PV solar electric, a hot
water heat pump, efficient lighting
and electrical design, well-above
standard floor, wall and ceiling
insulation, a power management
unit, automated moisture extraction
and a grey water system. In addition,
Low E Xcel double glazing units were
supplied for the project by Metro
Performance Glass.
The first ten out of ten Homestar-rated house
in Christchurch, in the South Island, in fact in
the whole country – this ground-breaking claim
to fame goes to the contemporary two-storey
house by Bob Burnett Architecture featured here.
Every factor was addressed to take the
house over the history-making, ten-star line.
These included energy use, waste disposal, ventilation, health and occupant comfort.
Naturally, with any home design, the right
glazing has a huge effect on warmth, comfort
and overall energy efficiency. However, when
the home in question is this spectacularly rated,
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the glazing and related elements have to be at
the ‘next level’, says Mike Stanford, for Metro
Performance Glass, the company that supplied
the glazing solution for the greener-than-green
residence.
“Double glazing has far greater insulating
benefits when combined with Argon gas, Low
E glass and thermal spacing. We offer all these
together with our Low E Xcel unit – and that
was the ideal solution here,” says Stanford.
Argon is a naturally occurring inert gas. By
trapping a measured amount of Argon between
the panes of glass and sealing it in, the insulating