Sustainable Waterfront Property in the Australian Bush
July 14, 2010 by simonturner
Filed under Australia's Challenge, Eco Projects, Features
For sale in Macmasters Beach in New South Wales, Australia is a magnificent environmentally-sustainable waterfront property, which is set upon 40.97 acres of lush paddocks, serene palm groves, and native vegetation.
Designed by architect Francis Fong, the brief was to provide a luxurious and modern home for those inside, whilst ensuring the sense of being in the Australian bush. At all times you’ll feel the clever balance between the privacy of a home and the freedom of the outdoors.
The house has been designed to ensure that no matter which room you are enjoying, you can appreciate the setting, the bush and water views, the sounds and the sea breeze.
Importantly, it’s sustainable credentials are outstanding:
The property operates “off the grid” for total independence. Powered by cost efficient solar electricity that further enhances the property’s sustainable credentials, there is also a back-up diesel generator that automatically starts when necessary.
The water supply is equally sustainable: you can enjoy the rainwater from the small pod roof, take a tranquil moment to pump rainwater to the supply tank on top of the hill, or utilise the connection to town water (although this will very rarely be required).
For the summer, there is ample electricity to run air-conditioning should you choose, however, the house design entices even the faintest of breezes thus naturally maintaining the temperature and ambiance of the home. There are also 42000 litres of water beneath the house dedicated to the sprinkler system, which act as a moderating thermal mass.
For the winter, you can utilise the natural resources on the land and enjoy the two wood combustion stoves, including the wonderful French Chiminee Philippe main fireplace in the living room.
It is quite evident that every thought has been given to creating a harmonious and sustainable lifestyle in deep privacy in building this home.
CLICK HERE to view the property website. The property is available through Marquette Turner Luxury Homes and Clearpoint.
Save Lindbergh Bay Success in the Caribbean Island of St Thomas
November 5, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Eco Projects
Our favourite Caribbean detective, Jim Walberg, reports on the recent success of the “Save Lindbergh Campaign”.
Many of you remember my article several months ago about the Save Lindbergh Bay initiative. This is a grass roots organization of people committed to keeping this beautiful Caribbean bay on St. Thomas from being the dumping site of the dredging material from Charlotte Amalie Harbor. The U.S. Virgin Islands signed a contract with the largest cruise ship in the world, Oasis of the Sea, to call on the port of Charlotte Amalie. The cruise ship holds over 5,000 people that will greatly add to the tourist revenue of St. Thomas. However, the agreement required Charlotte Amalie Harbor to create the ability for the Oasis of the Sea to dock which would require dredging the path of the ship into the harbor an additional 35 feet to the existing sea floor. The project was to take the 150,000 cubic yards of dredging material and deposit it into Lindbergh Bay. The GREAT NEWS is that Lindbergh Bay has been saved by Gov. deJongh, Jr. signing a degree to halt the dredging until a more suitable site can be found for the material.
The dredging has been opposed by not only the residents of the Virgin Islands, but by people concerned about environment issues around the world. Gov. deJongh said at a Government House press conference, “As this process proceeded, and mindful of the community’s concerns on the placement of the dredged spoils, yet the desire to ensure that Royal Caribbean maintains St. Thomas as a port of call for Oasis, I instructed my team to develop options in the event that a change of course was required.” So, after lengthy negotiations with government officials and the cruise lines, an agreement with Royal Caribbean has been reached. The contracts with the Port Authority needed to be honored, so some of the cruise ships that normally berth at Crown Bay will be shifted to Havensight on the days when Oasis of the Sea calls on Charlotte Amalie Harbor.
Now that Crown Bay will be the temporary docking site for Oasis by the Sea, Gov. deJongh, Jr. acknowledged, “Crown Bay is an interim solution. Quite frankly, it is not the ideal with respect to passenger experience — there will be issues of security screening, transportation, economic impact on passenger spending. However, it ensures that Charlotte Amalie Harbor is able to keep the ship as a port of call.” A BIG challenge with Crown Bay as the docking location for Oasis is how to move the passengers to the center of town where they all love to shop. How about creating a fleet of independent water taxis to finally serve the entire Charlotte Amalie Harbor?
Other comments about removing Lindbergh Bay from the dredge dumping came from:
- Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty is committed to increasing passenger presence in areas such as Market Square and Emancipation Garden, where staging points will be set up; “We’re working on the logistics now and definitely want to encourage shopping there, so that someone can go and get a question answered or just have a cultural experience.”
- Virgin Islands Conservation Society president, Jason Budsan; “I congratulate everyone who helped make this happen. Public pressure counts. The decision is significant because the Virgin Islands is looking at ways to solve problems, balancing the environment and the economy.”
- Senator Wayne James; “It’s a great triumph on our part. I was looking at the bay a couple days ago, and I wondered how anybody could compromise the beauty of this beach.”
- Environmentalist Helen Gjessing; “I’m really pleased that the Port Authority saw the writing on the wall, that this was really not a viable project. There’s no way it could restore the eco-system of Lindbergh Bay. A lot of credit goes to the many people who kept plugging away. I really appreciate that.”
Please log in with your comments about how a few committed citizens CAN make a difference in changing the direction of being kind to our Planet.
350 Parts – International Day of Climate Action
November 3, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Eco Projects, Global
A few weekends ago saw over 1,000 people gather on the forecourt of Sydney’s Opera House to form the number 350 – a global message board to send a climate change message to world leaders. 179 counties are taking part in 4,500 events worldwide as part of the International Day of Climate Action. Australia was the first of the countries to take part in the international event.
The environmental movement 350.org, is named because there are 350 parts per million – the limit on the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which many believe is needed to avoid climate havoc.
Blair Palese, CEO of 350.org Australia said “most people feel pretty disenfranchised about things like the United Nations Copenhagen meetings and there is no way for people to take leadership for that.”
Multiple cities throughout the world were also part of the 350 effort.
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“Villa Panorama”: Environmentally Friendly & Environmentally Flattering
May 20, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Eco Projects, Global
Inspired by the broad horizontal lines of the Dutch landscape, Björn van Rheenen of Sponge Architects, has used these lines to create “Villa Panorama” which blends seamlessly into the environment.
Featuring a large glass façade and long small pond that cleverly appears to flow from the garden into the spacious living area, there is also a flat roof with a “lawn” atop, thus ensuring indoors and outdoors are perfectly merged.
Sustainability was a very important issue in the design process, meaning that environmentally-conscious techniques are highly evident in “Villa Panorama”
“Villa Panorama” is a project of Sponge Architects Amsterdam in cooperation with Scope Bouwmanagement BV., Almere.
Los Angeles Flexes its Structural Muscles: The South Central Re-Devlopment
May 19, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Eco Projects, Features
Los Angeles’ glass tower, designed by Eric Owen Moss Architects, is completely revitalizing the locale.
With the aid of a rail line to encourage the redesign, the tower is part of the redevelopment of South Central LA, an area plagued with poverty and violence.
The design invokes the theme of a ribbon that allows each floor of the structure to be entirely open.
Constructed using steel tubes filled with concrete, the variance lies in the changing of each floors’ heights.
Clear the Air, Marquette Turner
The Harvest Green Project for 2030 Eco-Friendly Living
May 18, 2009 by simonturner
Filed under Eco Projects
The “Harvest Green Project’ by Romses Architects has been announced as the winner of “The 2030 Challenge” organized by the City of Vancouver “to address climate change plans and to guide greener and denser development, reducing carbon emissions for the future.”
The concept of ‘harvest’ is explored in the project through the vertical farming of vegetables, herbs, fruits, fish, egg laying chickens, and a boutique goat and sheep dairy facility.
The structure of the winning green design will harvest renewable energy using photovoltaic glazing and small and large-scale wind turbines to support the solar and wind-farm infrastructure.
Other features include:
- renewable energy will be harvested via green building design elements harnessing geothermal, wind and solar power;
- the buildings have photovoltaic glazing and incorporate small and large-scale wind turbines to turn the structure into solar and wind-farm infrastructure;
- using the concept of vertical farming potentially adds energy back to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible parts of plants and animals;
- a large rainwater cistern terminates the top of the ‘harvest tower’ providing on-site irrigation for the numerous indoor and outdoor crops and roof gardens;
- the proposal purposefully incorporates program uses for residential, transit, a large farmers market and supermarket, office and agricultural research and educational facilities, and food related retail/hospitality.
Marquette Turner Luxury Homes