Sustainable Houses - The Process

The thought process behind choosing sustainable...

the building process At SALA Homes we questioned standard building practices and asked 'is there a better, less damaging way for us (and everyone) to build?' Yes there is!

Zero Use of Concrete

For example: in 2006 we considered the use of concrete slabs and footings. Now we lead environmental best practice by example, with 50% of SALA Homes customers choosing to use the Mega Anchor footing system. This innovation requires much less excavation, no concrete and is more cost effective on difficult sites.

Did you realise that each tonne of cement in concrete requires 1.7 tonnes of raw materials and contributes 1 tonne of CO². This cement article informs people of the environmental impact of concrete and we offer them a choice.

Vented Walls - cool in summer, warm in winter

Another example is the design of the vented walls in a SALA Home. They have been specifically designed to create ventilation through the exterior wall cavity, drawing cool air from under the house in summer. If you close the vent at the top of the wall, the same cavity will create a 'still air' space, thus acting as insulation in winter.

Environmental Best Practice

Building a SALA Home is not just about creating a sustainable building, it is also about offering environmental best practice services to help customers through the building process. For example, in a recent customer's sustainable house, SALA undertook:

site visits - to ensure proper orientation of the home
Council approval service - we worked with Noosa Shire Council to streamline the building approval process (including the Biolytix wastewater treatment system). The Council now use the home as an educational model for Living Smart Noosa
engineering service
builder procurement and building supervision service

This customer found building a sustainable SALA home was no more difficult or complicated than building a conventional home. Our innovation comes from:

using the best household energy saving and water collection inventions, and leading-edge products
revisiting traditional construction techniques which cost virtually nothing but are amazingly simple and effective, eg the ventilated wall cavities
combining technology, good design and expert knowledge to lead the sustainable housing industry in Queensland and throughout Australia