Elements of smart and sustainable housing

 Social sustainability: Safety + security + universal design = social sustainability

 Environmental sustainability: Water efficiency + waste efficiency + energy efficiency =

environmental sustainability

 Economic sustainability: Cost-efficiency + peace of mind + higher resale value = economic

sustainability

Social sustainability

Safety

 A safe and secure home reduces the likelihood of injuries in and around the home.

Security

 A secure home uses designs and fittings to reduce crime.

Universal design

 A home that is universally designed is flexible and comfortable for people with varying abilities
at different stages of their lives.

Environmental sustainability

Water efficiency

 A smart and sustainable home saves on water which also saves you money in the long term. You
can be water efficient by choosing water-saving showers and taps and consider using water
tanks for the garden and flushing the toilet.

Waste efficiency

 Careful design and planning can limit waste during initial construction. It may also reduce the
need for expensive modifications as needs change.

 For more information visit the Department of Environment and Science

Energy efficiency

 A smart home reduces energy consumption, saving money for you and your family. Passive solar
design features such as house orientation, ventilation, insulation and adequate shading can
improve energy efficiency. In many cases, you can keep your home cool in summer and warm in
winter without artificial heating and cooling devices.

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Economic sustainability

A smart house is cost-efficient. This means smart features are included in the initial design and
construction, reducing the cost of changes in the future.
Smart design principles and choice of construction materials can have a considerable effect on initial
costs, as well as costs over the life of the house.

A smart house achieves cost-efficiencies in many ways:

Construction costs

 You can achieve cost savings at the initial design and construction stage through the use of cost-
efficient building materials, economic planning and 'smart' ideas. For example, standardising the
size of wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, windows and bathroom vanities and specifying recycled and
readily available materials can save money.

Ongoing running costs

 Ongoing costs can really add up over the life of the home. Significant savings are to be gained by
carefully considering the design of the home and which fixtures and fittings to include. For
example, energy-efficient showers and taps use less hot water and can save up to $100 or more
a year on energy bills.

Living costs

 Smart design features can save you money on a variety of everyday expenses such as cleaning,
replacements and repairs as a result of accidents and breakages.

Long-term maintenance costs

 Careful choice and selection of materials and the well-thought out design of a smart and
sustainable home reduces repair and ongoing maintenance costs. Ask your builder or designer
to assist you to prepare an indicative maintenance management plan at the initial design stage.
Often the ongoing and long-term savings will outweigh any initial cost.

Future modification costs

 People's needs change over time. A couple becomes a family, an individual makes the move to
work from home or an older person becomes less mobile. Each will require their home to work
in different ways.

 Altering an existing home to accommodate changing needs can cost up to three times more
than including the same features in the initial design and build stage. A smart house has been
designed in accordance with Liveable Housing Design Guidelines and will work for a range of
people of different ages and abilities.

Resale value

 Smart and sustainable home features can lead to a greater demand for your home - the greater
the demand, the higher the resale value as it will meet the needs of a greater range of people
and therefore attract a larger market. With a massive increase in our ageing population and
more people wanting to stay in their own home longer, a flexible and accessible home will
become an increasingly valuable commodity.

Peace of mind
  In a smart and sustainable home, the design and choice of fixtures and fittings have been
carefully considered to ensure the safety and well-being of the occupants. This may reduce the
risk of injury and therefore save on medical expenses, hospital bills and lost wages due to time
off work.

Cost efficiency for our community

 Cost-efficient housing also means savings for our community by reducing the cost of housing on
the environment; reducing the likelihood of injury and the burden on the health care system;
and reducing the incidence and cost of crime.