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In the third episode of our interactive web streamed tv show myLOOKHOMEtv we focussed on Safe design. Archicentre Managing Director Robert Caulfield and fire consultant Paul England from Exova Warringtonfire talked us through the latest regulations and thinking about  designing and building in bushfire zones. Caulfield also outlined the bushfire design concept service that Archicentre is running for the Victorian Building Commission and shared thoughts about designing for an aging population, based on the insights from the 4500 inspections Archicentre conducts each year for older people.
In addition, in his capacity as the Kidsafe Victoria Vice President Caulfield discussed the common injuries children suffer in the home and how to better design homes with families in mind. Architect and entrant in the Look Green Home Design Awards, Scott Whiteoak, shared the design approach used on a home that incorporated safe design principles for both young and aging occupants for developer Stockland. Vierwers stole the real trade secrets from experts Paul and Robert on the panel. You can see the episode here.

In the second episode of our interactive web-streamed tv show, Brett Blacklow, the designer of the Smarter Small Home™ that you may have seen featured on A Current Affair was live in the studio with host Suzy Yates. He was joined by  Craig Riddle, the builder behind Living Green Designer Homes who shared some top Trade Secrets with us. We also took a close look at the Look Green Home Design award entry Alluvium House to find out the most affordable approach to building on a steeply sloping site and we found out about affordable housing projects on the drawing board with architect David Randerson from DKO. Brett and Craig were on the live panel to answer viewers' questions. You can watch the episode that went to air here.

Channel 9’s ACA story went to air nationally on Friday 27th March at 6.50pm. By 7pm smartersmallhome.com.au was inundated with enquiries. Four days later and over 7,500 people have visited the site.

Everyone it seems wants a Smarter Small Home and it’s easy to see why. Here are just a few of the clever features:

• Low embodied energy materials help keep the home's carbon footprint and costs low
• The decking is made from recycled plastic bottles
• Lightweight Scyon™ cladding has been used on the walls inside the house, to save on plastering and tiling
• The new generation ceiling is an all in one product, that can be installed in a day
• The dining room is back to the future with a good old eat-in kitchen
• An all in one switch turns all your stand-by appliances on and off - right from the front door

The really smart thing though is that this home is not just smart, stylish and sustainable, it's also very affordable. The Smarter Small Home is open for public tours from April 18 and you can book your tour online here.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that a high percentage of Australia’s 4.2 million baby boomers own their own homes, yet their 11 million children (Generations X and Y) are now looking at long term rental rather than spending up to 86 per cent of their income on a home of their own.

 

A team of architects, suppliers and builders led by property identity Kevin Doodney is tackling the issue of housing affordability head on by launching a new concept home designed for first home buyers and low to moderate income earners.

 

“There has been a lot of talk about the housing affordability crisis over the years but I think the public is tired of talking and want a solution,” Mr Doodney, Director of LJ Hooker Land Marketing said.

 

Kevin Doodney has spent 30 years researching property trends and has dedicated the past three years alongside major partners LJ Hooker, James Hardie and Earth Spirit Home to find a genuine solution to the crisis.

 

The dedicated group of specialists has been secretly building a new display home over the past three months inside an empty  Brisbane factory. The Smarter Small Home is now about to be revealed.

 

“This home is smarter, greener and more compact than your average house and can fit comfortably on a 300m2 or 400m2 block of land while still keeping a good size backyard for the kids to play cricket,” Mr Doodney said.

 

“Very soon, we expect to be able to offer this home including land for around $275,000 (less in regional areas) and given the average home in South East Queensland sold for over $400,000 last year, this will be a god-send for many Australians desperate to get out of the ‘rent-race’", he said.

 

Public tours will be available from April 18th and bookings can be made online.
 

One of Queensland’s leading developers has given the Smarter Small Home the thumbs up. According to Kevin Doodney from L J Hooker Land Marketing those who have seen the home are impressed.

 

"The Smarter Small Home is a solution to many of the hurdles developers face,” Doodney said. “Utilising a small block without compromising on quality and space is a challenge but not only do we think we have the mix just right, the developers are agreeing.”

 

Daniel Stanaway from Tancred Developments visited the Smarter Small Home prior to the launch and has already committed to building one in Ipswich.

 

“It is much bigger than we originally thought,” said Stanaway. “It’s a very impressive house and we liked it so much we will include it on lot 101 in our new Stanton Park estate.”

 

“Even though the three bed, two bathroom house we saw might not suit everyone, the fact that there are 36 options is exciting. The idea of an expandable house is perfect for the current market.”

 

Tancred Developments will feature the Smarter Small Home at Stanton Park Chuwar by the end of 2009.
 

Australian’s long for decent backyards and when Griffith Univeristy's Professor Tony Hall conducted a detailed study into the loss of the suburban backyard, (Where have all the gardens gone? An investigation into the disappearance of back yards in the newer Australian suburb), he noted that within the past 10 years the back yard has largely disappeared from new suburban houses in Australia.

 

"The more recent Australian suburbs display a disturbing trend," he writes."Within the past 10 years the back yard has largely disappeared from new suburban houses in Australia. The dwelling now extends near to the boundary of the plot and, in consequence, near to adjoining dwellings. There is little in the way of balconies and verandas. Windows are often small and tinted. The design is normally single-storey, square or deep-plan and incorporates an integral double garage further reducing the scope for natural lighting and ventilation. Usually, only one room provides an outlook to the front and surveillance of the street."

 

Hall says we need a campaign to save "the real Australian lifestyle". The answer isn't necessarily bigger lots however. "You could double the Australian housing density [per hectare] and save your backyard by making the front yard smaller and building two stories," he says.

 

The Smarter Small Home does just that. In the process it delivers the Australian backyard with room for play, a landscaped garden and plenty of space for the barbie, as well as a highly livable home. But it does all that at an affordbale price.

 

You can read more of Professor Hall's research online. You can take a tour of The Smarter Small Home by registering here.