School Creative Arts Centre, Powerlouvre, Hawaii

School Creative Arts Centre, Powerlouvre, Hawaii

School Creative Arts Centre, Powerlouvre

Maui, Hawaii, United States

Located in beautiful up-country Maui, the new A`ali`ikūhonua Creative Arts Centre at Seabury Hall opened on September 28, 2012 and since then has received global award winning recognition by the AIA and World Architecture News.

The $7 million state-of-the-art facility includes a separate dance studio/classroom building and completes the school’s master plan that included a new gym built in the 1990’s and a new upper school building and middle school extension in the 2000’s.

The centre is designed using a mixed-mode approach with Breezway Powerlouvre Windows integrated into the building management system.

The primary function of the louvers is to bring in fresh trade winds on the lower level and exhaust heat buildup in the clerestory windows to minimize the electrical loads on the mechanical systems.

Project Date – November 2013

Family Ecohouse, Scenic Views, Hawaii

Family Ecohouse, Scenic Views, Hawaii

Family Ecohouse, Scenic Views

Big Island, Hawaii, United States

The Hi’ilani Ecohouse is a sustainable 4,000 square foot carbon-neutral, two-family residence located on the Big Island of Hawaii.

This innovative house proved to be quite a challenging project for Robert Mechielsen and his team at Studio RMA, but was effectively completed with great pride and success.

The EcoHouse has been designed for two families (who have shared the same vision for many years) to come together and share the space. By doing so, this reduces each person’s ecological footprint while enhancing the quality of life by sharing resources, land and the community.

The carbon-neutral, sustainable design collaborates with nature to provide a durable and efficient building, and is truly a spectacular master piece that captures breath-taking scenic views of the Pacific for both families to enjoy.

Located in the tropics where climate control is important, the building allows airflow to filter over the roof to generate negative air pressure. This energizes an innovative and energy saving ‘eco air conditioning’ system.

Altair Louver Windows by Breezway have been critical to the design of this house to assist with the ‘eco air conditioning’ system. The Altair Powerlouvers are linked to a rooftop weather station to allow the louvers to automatically open on cool nights to let in night time breezes. This cools the concrete ceilings to keep the interior spaces at a comfortable temperature throughout the next day. In addition, manually operated Altair Louvers in a Breezway ios Surround Frame have been installed around the house with inside screens to protect the home from insects. Fans are also installed to help distribute the cool air throughout the living spaces of the home.

Overall, the completion of this project represents exceptional performance, reliability, and energy efficiency that will help protect the environment for years to come.

Project Date: May 2013

Designer – Robert Mechielsen Design
+310 455 7504

Architect – Vincent T.C. Tai
AIA
+808 941 3778
studiorma.com/index.html

New Home, Relaxing River Views, Australia

New Home, Relaxing River Views, Australia

New Home, Relaxing River Views

Noosaville, Queensland, Australia

The client of this attractive home spent numerous hours researching the options available for renovating the building, however eventually decided a rebuild was going to be more of a practical solution.

The home has an intimate street presence and a north eastern aspect with relaxing views to the Noosa River. Displaying a combination of light and airy living spaces, this home also features a plunge pool and a linear outdoor deck which doubles as a passageway to the garage and upper level where the spare rooms are located.

The extensive use of Altair Louvre Windows and Altair Powerlouvre Windows throughout the home allows the living space to comfortably connect with its bird-friendly environment and functions well in both summer and winter.

An external venetian on the eastern wall eliminates the hot summer sun without affecting air flow into the home and the northern facet allows the sun to enter and warm the room in winter. Altair Powerlouvres have been placed up high to allow hot air to escape and cooling breezes to flow in through summer to keep the home at a comfortable temperature throughout the day without the need for air conditioning.

Project Date: July 2012

Builder – Civic Steel Homes
+61 7 3177 4678
www.civicsteelhomes.com.au

Satori Hinterland Home, Rural Surroundings, Australia

Satori Hinterland Home, Rural Surroundings, Australia

Satori Hinterland Home, Rural Surroundings

Eumundi, Queensland, Australia

This award winning project located on the outskirts of Eumundi in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland has been designed by Gerard Smith (Winner of the 2012 BDA Design Excellence Award). Gerard has transformed what was originally a tired run-down three bedroom block home, into a breath-taking masterpiece that makes the most of its natural, rural surroundings.

The house has an impressive open plan design that seamlessly connects with the stunning landscape. In addition, new living spaces have been created to open up to natural light and fresh air through the use of solar passive design principles.

There are large expanses of glazing throughout the house to enable panoramic views of the surrounding bushland. Altair Louvre Windows have been incorporated above the sliding doors in the living room and strategically placed in other rooms of the house to take advantage of fresh breezes to keep the house at a comfortable temperature.

The open plan design extends out to a beautiful grand alfresco area with an elevated external roof structure which also allows high volumes of light and cross ventilation to enter the home. This design brings about a feeling of spaciousness for building occupants to enjoy an uninterrupted connection with the natural beauty of the outdoor environment.

Using natural materials to create an impressive interior, the house stylishly integrates with the lush, green landscape. The warmth and texture of the environment reflects the timber joinery used in the house and works well against the coolness of the polished concrete flooring. The owners have named the development ‘Satori’ in recognition of its spiritual significance as a zone of enlightenment in the quest to understand the nature of existence.

Awards:

  • Four Regional, State and National Category Awards for Residential Alternations and Additions.
  • One State and one National Category Award for Residential Interiors.
  • Two State Awards for Kitchens and Bathrooms.
  • One State Design Excellence Award.
  • Gerard Smith won the Queensland’s Premier Award for Satori in 2011.

Project Date: July 2012
Building Designer: Gerard Smith Mojo Design Tel: +61 7 5447 5394

InsulLiving House, Energy Rated, Australia

InsulLiving House, Energy Rated, Australia

InsulLiving House, Energy Rated

Burpengary, Queensland, Australia

With an 8 star energy rating, the InsulLiving house has revolutionised the building industry where homes can now be built 34% faster. The amount of trades and materials required to build these types of homes have been significantly reduced due to a more simplified design and construction method. This also improves the energy efficiency (and energy savings) of the building that will impact our environment for years to come.

Altair Louvres were incorporated into this sustainable home in Queensland to help maximise ventilation and reduce the reliance on air conditioning. The energy efficient louvres specified into the project are Black Satin Altair Louvre Windows in Component Form with a mixture of 152mm Western Red Cedar timber blades, Tinted Glass and Satina Glass blades. Security screens have also been installed on the exterior side of the window for added safety and protection from insects. An Altair Powerlouvre Window has been installed up high in the living room and is connected to the smart automation system to automatically open at particular times of the day to allow hot rising air to escape while the lower level louvres allow cooling breezes to flow in and naturally reduce the temperature of the room.

These products were specified to assist with the principles of the design to show that an energy efficient house can be achieved and still have the look and feel of a typical modern Australian home. As a result, the InsulLiving home is aesthetically pleasing, costing far less to build and in much less time with ongoing savings to the homeowner.

This project was conceived and constructed by Bondor®, and was completed in August 2011. Bondor’s ‘InsulLiving’ project has won the Queensland Industry Innovation Award at 2012 HIA – CSR Queensland Housing Awards for its energy efficient home system.

Project Date: April 2012

Builder – Steve Cramb
Bondor
1300 300 099
https://www.insulliving.com.au