Landmatters’ Projects at the Ecovillage in Currumbin

1. The Ecovillage at Currumbin

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY    “THE ECOVILLAGE AT CURRUMBIN”

The challenge of this century is how to live sustainably to lessen environmental impacts – in harmony with nature, to have community and a modern quality of life. The Landmatters team believe that Sustainability should be the key design principle in property development.  Our vision is to inspire sustainable living, development practice awareness by creating “The World’s Best Ecologically Sustainable Development” - a project that inspires and sets a World’s Best Practice Standard for the future of community in Australia.

Landmatters is implementing this vision on a well located 110ha site on the southern Gold Coast. This subdivision project will incorporate 144 sustainable homes in a variety of residential configurations with lot sizes varying from 450 – 6000 sqm, together with community oriented facilities centred around a small Village Centre comprising an Interpretive Centre, community shop, café and bakery, community office accommodation, “Home Studios” featuring work/shop areas with living above, medical rooms, a small community preschool/primary school, a plant nursery, a recycling centre and comprehensive community recreational and service facilities including a Village Hall.

The Ecovillage at Currumbin aims to provide:

• Energy generation and conservation targeting ultimate self-sufficiency
• Voluntary self-sufficiency in water supply and waste water management
• 80% of site designated as open-space, with more than 50% environmental reserve, and yet the same yield as standard development
• Edible landscaping and streetscaping, household farming and other productive strategies providing a high degree of self-sufficiency
• Preservation of landforms and rehabilitation of the site’s environmental integrity
• Extensive wildlife corridors, negligible vegetation loss and extensive native plant regeneration
• Integrated water quality measures to exemplify Water Sensitive Design
• Cultural Heritage elements dedicated for preservation and integration into the design
• A mix of innovative sustainable, energy efficient housing that caters for diverse needs
• On-site work strategies and facilities for village and Valley residents
• Waste recycling and minimisation strategies including a recycling centre
• Traffic saving strategies to reduce vehicle impacts on and off site
• An administrative framework that provides for social equity
• Initial and ongoing social planning to foster sustainable community
• Interpretive Centre for providing continuing education of sustainable practices
• Economic performance both with the development and the ongoing community

The initial project design was completed employing a collaborative design approach following an extensive Community Consultation program yielding strong design input from indigenous groups, residents, stakeholder groups, referral agencies and others.

The Gold Coast City Council, in August 2003, approved the Ecovillage Planning Application in full. The Ecovillage Interpretive Centre which is now open for visitation, is a GCCC’s first Innovation Estate. It is also a Queensland Government Energywise and Waterwise Demonstration Project and an important component of the Sustainable Urban Development Programme joint initiative between the QLD EPA and UDIA.

The product of 10 years of research and design both in Australia and overseas, Landmatters’ The Ecovillage at Currumbin will set a benchmark standard for sustainable residential development, with environmental, social and economic sustainability as its integrated driving principles.

For more information download The Ecovillage Fast Facts file here: http://sustainablegreen.com.au/products-page/

2. Australia’s Greenest Home

The Living Laboratory Home is a highly original custom designed and  built home that displays  outstanding aesthetic appeal, simple construction, practical efficiency, universal access, passive energy efficient design and occupant comfort.

This innovative house which has minimised embodied energy and other environmental impacts, through an industry leading mix of state of the art building materials and technology with a high content of recycled and reused materials, easily achieves total energy and water self sufficiency. Benchmark energy and water efficiency has been implemented using well considered site management and easily replicable and available practices and installations.

This value for money affordable and yet highly sustainable home has been developed by Landmatters within its multi-award winning  community development, The Ecovillage at Currumbin, as a public showcase to demonstrate easily and practically achievable best practice in energy and water efficient  residential building.

The Home has won 4  2008 Awards :

• HIA GreenSmart National Building of the Year
• HIA Energy Efficient House of the Year ( Gold Coast)
• HIA Energy Efficient House of the Year ( Queensland)
• Building Designers Association of Qld Sustainable House Award (Gold Coast)

This extraordinary contemporary home has now been sold so is no longer open for inspection, but similar homes are.  The Ecovillage at Currumbin, Currumbin Valley is just 5 minutes off the M1 at the southern Gold Coast. Below is a map to help you get there.

Further questions? – Phone the Landmatters Team on (07) 5598 7355
Or email: info@theecovillage.com.au