New Seed Home

Amir

My name is Amir and I was born in the city of Shiraz in Iran. I moved to Sydney in year 12 and then completed my Bachelor of Medical Science at UOW. I am currently studying a Graduate Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. I think I have had an entrepreneurial mindset since I was a kid; my dad remembers when I was five and I had set up a little shop on our street selling my hand painted rocks!

Laura

Hi, I'm Laura! An architect that travelled 14,345 km from Mexico to Australia to pursue a passion that has now become my career... Sustainable Cities! As a student at RMIT, I explored opportunities to become an active contributor to the sustainable movement with the way we build and live. Leaving behind the "moral sacrifice "and "philanthropic dilemma", sustainability is a synonym of health, equity, well-being and improved quality of life.

Jack

Hi, I'm Jack, I’m a 3rd year mechatronic engineering student, I have a background in 3D modelling, project management and automation. I’m really fascinated by the implementation of industry 4.0 in a variety of fields, including sustainable design. I am passionate about living sustainably and reducing the effect that we all have on the environment.

Kirra

Hi, my name is Kirra and I have recently completed my Honours thesis in International Studies. I’ve always dreamed of making a positive change regarding environmental degradation and poverty. What was initially a side-interest in biophilic, sustainable and vernacular architecture has now become my passion, for its potential to reconnect people with their environments, holistically addressing the above concerns.

Valentina

Hi, my name is Valentina and I'm studying Architectural Engineering with a minor in Civil Engineering. I am passionate about sustainable design and believe it can be affordable and accessible. I strive to design for good mental wellbeing through biophilic design and aim to consider the needs of future users of a design.

The materials we used in the New Seed Home is selected using a Weighted Decision-Making Matrix that considers factors such as Use of Waste, Life Cycle Analysis, Affordability and Feasibility. Factors that weighed more heavily on our team were given higher weights. This gives quantifiable reasoning for many of the selections

Some examples of materials determined by this method were:

• Recycled wood shakes
• Green Ceramics
• Reclaimed walls
• GGBFS Concrete
• Recycled Glass Bottles
• Recycled PET

For other materials that we were determined to innovate more with but did not necessarily have an easily quantifiable performance in these areas we selected on a case-by-case basis. Some of these include:

• Straw bale walls
• Rammed Earth walls
• Cork Tiles
• Reclaimed Timber Floors

Many of our chosen materials are derived from waste product, this includes Blast Slag, Glass Bottles, Cork, Reclaimed wood, textiles, aluminium cans. By weight, these materials represent a significant volume of waste being diverted from landfill for each of the homes we construct.

Some of our more innovative materials such as green ceramics have nondetermined end of life, their resource recovery methods can be based on already existing and comparable products.

Because of the intergenerational nature of the house, it is important that the products are durable, maintainable and have minimal impacts after their use in the house, including being broken down into other materials for use in other homes. A good example of this is our glass bottle wall in the greenhouse, after its fulfilled its use in our home, the glass can be broken down to make other products such as the recycled glass that comprises our green ceramics. This gives many of our materials second or third lives, keeping more waste from landfill.

New Seed Home was designed as an intergenerational home that is accessible for most occupants, ensuring a flexible design for future uses of the building. Our team has considered the implications of each material we have selected and how those materials can be reused at the end of their life. Many of our materials such as our straw bale walls are completely biodegradable and can be easily separated at their end of life to enable easy recyclability.

Our chosen occupants are a thirty-five year old single mother and her two children under the age of twelve. The family has recently arrived from Afghanistan and have refugee-backgrounds. One of her children has autism. We have thus prioritised providing a sense of safety and wellbeing through our design, whilst catering for multigenerational living and long-term residency given the likelihood that New Seed Home will be a forever home for our occupants. We have considered the mental and physical needs of our occupants as well as future occupants which has ensured our design is accessible and flexible.

New Seed Home focuses on what nature can provide in regards to making a healthy home. We have particularly focused on natural light and ventilation while giving the occupant control (within a healthy range) over humidity and temperature levels to suit their own comfort. The incorporation of plants throughout the home aims to act as an air filtration system to ensure healthy, clean air for our occupants.

Sense of community is important for the wellbeing of the collective, especially for vulnerable populations. Our project aims to find balance between privacy and welcoming through various features such as our multi-purpose greenhouse. We also aim to emphasise the connection between the home, the occupant, the environment and the community whilst spreading the vision of a sustainable future by utilising the social contagion theory.

Our team has approached the supply chain flow with a cyclical mindset, with waste becoming a material resource which at the end of its life becomes another resource. Wherever possible materials are sourced from local providers.

New Seed Home tackles value from three perspectives, the occupants, the community and the environment. Ara and her family found in New Seed Home a flexible space, easy to navigate for her child, with sufficient rooms to become a multi-generational home and with an adaptable floor plan that could allocate bedrooms on the ground floor for elder occupants. 

The greenhouse bridges the dwelling with its surroundings providing a semi-private space for food production. The design of the east and west windows incorporates an innovative wall composed of recycled glass bottles. Aiming to address social psychology and positive peer pressure, food production and the recycling of waste materials are sustainable practices that can promote sustainable behaviors in the community. The concept of a 20-minute neighborhood was implemented to promote local-living. The design has eliminated the garage given the background of the occupant but also to enhance sustainable transport and adapt to a future of improved cycling routes. A carport has been kept at the front to maintain flexibility for future occupants. Provisions for future EV chargers have been considered to allow for clean transport options. With the implementation of the greenhouse the need for transportation to purchase goods has also been reduced anticipating completion of everyday necessities locally within an 800m walkable catchment.

Our team has aimed for New Seed Home to be net zero energy by following guidelines from certification such as GreenStar and WELL. The home incorporates passive design strategies designed specifically for the climate and utilises renewable energy technologies such as solar panels and an off-grid self-sustaining water system. The design of the home also aims to reduce emissions by providing space to store alternative transport options such as bikes.

Through features such as the greenhouse and fold-out wall between the kitchen and back yard, New Seed Home creates spaces which merge indoor and outdoor environments, affecting changes in perception of how people interaction with their homes. We are also challenging the concept that nature is ‘separate’ to the built environment by utilising it for key functions such as air and water purification, privacy, food production and as a social drawcard. Our sustainable water system disrupts the building industry by demonstrating the potential for homes of the future to run off an entirely off-grid, self-sustaining water system.