St Kilda Ecohouse

St Kilda Ecohouse panels
North side with solar panels

The St Kilda Ecohouse was a project of the Port Phillip EcoCentre. The goals were to transform the house and garden on the corner of the St Kilda Botanical Gardens into a model sustainable building to provide education and inspiration to the wider community, acting as a seed for further change.

NOTE: The Ecohouse is now closed, the Ecocentre has moved temporarily to the Cora Graves Community Centre, 38 Blessington Street.

An existing brick house was redesigned and refitted with sustainable features, including:

  • water harvesting, conserving and recycling achieving zero discharge from the residential site (including the majority of storm water)
  • energy saving features, including:
    • passive solar design
    • active solar technologies (photovoltaic panels and solar hot water)
    • energy efficiency
    • embodied energy savings
  • use of non-toxic, recycled and local materials.

The house promotes sound living practices, and provides a pleasant and nourishing living environment.

LocationSt Kilda Botanical Gardens
StreetCnr Herbert and Blessington Streets, St Kilda
Melway ref58 B11
CountryAustralia
TypeResidential
House sizeMedium
ContactPort Phillip Ecocentre
Phone+613 9534 0670
Fax+613 9525 3312
Emailinfo@ecocentre.com


Summary of house features

  • Passive solar design
  • Solar panels, grid interactive
  • Solar hot water
  • Rainwater tanks
  • Low power appliances
  • Double glazed windows
St Kilda Ecohouse
St Kilda Ecohouse
St Kilda Ecohouse water treatment
UV greywater treatment
St Kilda Ecohouse waste water treatment
Waste water treatment system
St Kilda Ecohouse veges
Vege garden
St Kilda Ecohouse office
Resource room
St Kilda Ecohouse side
Side view

St Kilda Ecohouse meters
Meters and inverter
St Kilda Ecohouse tank
Water tank (buried)

Credits

  • Principle Architect: Peter Ho, PHOOEY ARCHITECTURE
  • Builder: Duncan Hall, Green House Sustainable Building Systems P/L
  • Construction Project Management: FMSA Pty Ltd
  • Project Coordinator 2000-2003: Peter Barker
  • Landscape Architect: Martin Reeves

Sponsors

  • City of Port Phillip
  • The Government of Victoria. The Department of Infrastructure. The Department of Sustainability
  • B’nai B’rith Environment Group
  • Earthcare St Kilda
  • DNRE – Coasts and Clean Seas Program
  • John T Reid Charitable Trust
  • William Buckland Foundation
  • Equity Trustees
  • Central Equity
  • South East Water
  • Melbourne Water
  • The Myer Foundation
  • The Reichstein Foundation
  • Helen Macpherson Smith Fund

External links

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