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Feng shui and passive solar eco home
listed by Ecobob.co.nz

New Zealand > Northland

Contact the owner
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Sale Details
Price:   Price on application
 

Property Details
Bedrooms:   2
Bathrooms:   2
 
 

Description

Energy efficient heating, ventilation etc
Solar hot water heating
Rainwater recovery system
Low flow shower heads
Insulated hot water heater
Insulated hot water piping
Wool insulation
Grey water reuse
Solar powered walkway and outdoor lighting area
Passive solar design
Use of recycled building materials
Onsite stormwater dispersal system
Low VOC paints
Natural oil finished timber

The enormous brick fireplace acts as a heatsink.
Garden has permaculture design
Vermicast septic system: Worm powered

Feng shui and passive solar principles, an eclectic array of lead light and stained glass, the scent of natural timbers and a feeling of tranquillity form first impressions when entering this superb hand crafted house. North-facing with bountiful food gardens, native plantings, fruit trees and exotic timber for firewood - all able to be irrigated by ponds - this 2 ha (5 acre) property is secluded from neighbours, sheltered from inclement weather and enjoys an abundance of birdlife.

For contact details see:
Bayleys Green Homes

Just 4 kilometres west of Kaiwaka on a 251 acre Kaipara Harbour peninsula headland lies the Otamatea Eco Village. Driving down a nearly 3 kilometre private community access road, this property is one of only fifteen properties. One boundary borders esplanade reserve and water frontage of the Otamatea River and although lush plantings obscure clear views of the waterways, kayak or canoe access may be readily obtained to harvest fish and shellfish. The acreage currently includes two small grazing paddocks, however, their northerly contour lends for further gardens if sustainability is desired on a larger scale or possibly for a second dwelling. A netting covered shade house has raised garden beds and is an ideal nursery for seedlings. Fragrant and colourful herbs grow between brick paving close to the kitchen side door for easy picking.

The 160m2 home has been practically designed with: high clerestory windows allowing light and air flow through the high sarked ceiling living areas; the wood burner sited in a large area brick fireplace space enabling excellent retention of heat with a ceiling fan assisting downward distribution; a generous pantry and wine cellar; ample main bathroom; and an ensuite to the master bedroom. With two bedrooms, a separate office cum/study area and a cosy library making use of a wide passageway between the living areas and master bedroom, the home provides alcoves for peace and quiet yet space for convivial entertaining. Leading outside from the dining area for further entertaining outdoors is a covered verandah, sheltered from weather and overlooking the grounds.

A 98m2 studio thoughtfully built and sited close to the house makes for a wonderful retreat - equipped with a wood burner and easily converted into a further dwelling. Imagine enjoying a musical evening with friends or having room for your best friend and family to stay a little longer than planned.

This is more than a real estate purchase; this is an opportunity to live in an intentional community where your neighbours become your friends and where the well-being, health and happiness of the community are a shared goal.

ABOUT KAIWAKA
Kaiwaka is known as a Transition Town, has 3 eco villages, is home to Koanga Gardens (an organic garden centre and heirloom nursery), has a significant European resident component in its population mix and is growing as a township with the iconic Dutch Cheese Shop & Deli being joined by the newcomers to town of Santa Lucia Italian Restaurant and La Nonna Italian Bakery amongst others.

Increasingly seen as an attractive weekend and lifestyle block destination, it is centrally located on a narrow isthmus only 70 minutes from Auckland. You are close to friends and family in the city yet are mere minutes from east or west coast beaches, waterways and country pursuits.

From State Highway 1, is an easy 15 minute drive to Mangawhai where there is a Links Golf Course, coastal walkways, a sheltered harbour and beaches open to the Pacific Ocean for surfing, sailing, diving.

Bayleys Green Homes

 
 

Your comments:

by Ecobob.co.nz 12 May 10, 2 replies : Last Post Sort by:
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Author Post
Ecobob.co.nz
247 posts
Eco friendly home for sale in Northland 
Posted 12 May 10 9:07 PM
Features include:

Energy efficient heating, ventilation etc
Solar hot water heating
Rainwater recovery system
Low flow shower heads
Insulated hot water heater
Insulated hot water piping
Wool insulation
Grey water reuse
Solar powered walkway and outdoor lighting area
Passive solar design
Use of recycled building materials
Onsite stormwater dispersal system
Low VOC paints
Natural oil finished timber

The enormous brick fireplace acts as a heatsink.
Garden has permaculture design
Vermicast septic system: Worm powered
Eco friendly home for sale in Northland
Ecotect
6 posts
Re: Eco friendly home for sale in Northland 
Posted 20 May 10 4:55 PM
This is a very nice home and I wish you well with it's sale. However I would ask that you do not claim that it is or uses 'passive solar design' as it clearly does not. To qualify, I can see that your clerestorey windows allow light into the back of the home an that is a great feature to suppliment winter sunlight into the back rooms, however these are not the primary energy source and do they directly irradiate exposed and insulated themal mass? Your north facing veranda is attractive and useful but is at complete odds with passive solar gain, blocking too much sunlight into the home. The windows within the veranda have sills well above floor level, further limiting solar gain. Lastly your main floor surface is timber, very attractive indeed but not thermal mass and not a heat sink. You are correct about the heat sink around you fire, but it will only store heat from that fire, not from solar energy (unless those clerestorey windows irradiate those bricks, which I can't tell). My motivation here is not to criticise but to point out that the general public may get a false idea of what passive solar design actually is, and that is not useful when we are all trying to improve housing stock and energy efficiency. Thank you.
Anonymous
3837 posts
Re: Eco friendly home for sale in Northland 
Posted 28 May 10 12:32 AM
I agree with the previous poster. I cannot see the passive solar as the veranda is completely shading the interior and is apparently north unless the solar panel is completely incorrectly orientated....
I also have certain difficulties seeing the feng shui.
And the unthoughfully lush real-estate-agent talk rather lends itself to urge stomach ache.
3km down the driveway with your very eco car just to get to the house? I will hope the letterbox is not at the end of that driveway.
And secluded from the neighbours that are supposed to become your friends?
Please think that over. I do not think that whoever wrote that has any appreciation for what sustainability means and encompasses.
Why are all those supposed eco-villages greenfield developments? Not better than any greenfield supermarket. Causing heaps of travel which are proven to be far worse in terms of GWP than any home heating. And using heaps of land that is not available for anything else.

Regards,
Ingo
 

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