Natasha+Alexis+Ashley

Zero Impact Home Sydney, Australia (33.86ºS 151.19ºE)

Why build "Zero" Impact Homes?
Our zero impact home makes no alterations to its surrounding environment. Australia is an ecological diverse region that must be preserved. This home is well equipped with advanced technology that is capable of making sure that the Sydney coast stays blue for a while. The reduction of the amount of fossil fuel would be good for our environment because it will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide. This is good for the enviroment because there will be less heat in the atmosphere. We get our water from lakes, rivers, and groundwater. When we use too much of it, places that don't have much water will be affected because the plants and animals that live there will have no water to drink. In areas with a lot of rain, runoff can be a problem because too much of it can cause flooding. Climate information and path of sun is important in designing a zero impact home because your windows and solar panels need to be facing in a direction that would allow the most sunlight so that you don't have to spend as much money on heating and electrical bills. Also, depending on temperatures, the house may require more or less heat which is why or house is made of light stone materials to reflect light. We don't want our house to have any impact on our surrounding setting ( ideally zero). In short, a zero impact home does not effect its environment, so it doesn't seem like humans have changed Sydney.

Site Considerations
Climate in terms of Sydney, Australia: the average temperature is 17.45ºC (63.41ºF) the yearly temperature range is 11.8-22ºC (53.28-71.6ºF) so the range is 11.8ºC the hottest month is January the coldest month is July -describe path of Sun in your city
 * average rainfall: 4 inches, rainiest month: March, driest month: September
 * For these reasons are house is painted white so to not overheat in the warmer months. Also, the city gets optimal rainfall so collecting water is helpful but not necessary in order to sustain water usage in the house
 * The sun rises at 62º NE in the winter and sets at 298º, however in the summer it rises at 119º SE and sets at 241º SW. This means that facing north would be the hottest and most direct sunlight which is why we have many windows facing north. However, in order to maintain natural sunlight, we have panels on the west and east sides that can open to let in light but have screen doors that reflect the heat in the summer. Our solar panels are at optimal placement because the sun crosses over diagonally in the summer and in the back of the house (north side) in the winter. The panels are on the roof on the north side to collect sunlight when the sun is at solar noon directly over the panels and in the winter's solar noon when the sun is on the north side over the back corner of the house
 * [[image:zeroimpacthome/sunnnn.JPG width="296" height="224"]]
 * Our area is also very prone to water erosion. For this reason, our house is equipped with stone walls which act as natural gutters to let the water run through and down the house. Also, since Australia does not approach freezing temperatures, we will not have to worry about the rocks spreading due to erosion. This is also the reason for our irrigating pebbles as stated below.
 * We also have a slanted roof so water runs down the roof and does not collect up there.

Design Features


(from left to right starting row 1)The house is constructed internally of wood with metal reinforcements so that when earthquakes strike, the house will not crumble and will maintain standing and stable. Even though Sydney itself is not on a plate boundary, it is very close to New Zealand and Papua New Ginuea which are and since they are so close, seismic energy is often felt on the coasts of Australia. Next we have fire proof insulation in the walls to reduce heat damage because temperatures approach scorching measures and the house will also be free of fire damage. Australia has had a record of forest fires and we would like this not to affect our house. To the right is a diagram of geothermal pipes and a well that reach down into warm water reservoirs that are found slightly below Earth's surface because of Earth's internal heat and secure heat from there to warm water and for heat and cooling so that we use natural heating and cooling methods. Lastly in this row are irrigating pebbles that run water into pools which we have in front of the front door that collect al the water. When the water is collected it is turned into hydro electricity by the hydroelectric generator found far to the left on the second row. This way we will utilize the rainy seasons on February and March in order to run our washing machine. Next are low flow toilets that hold less water in the tank than a normal toilet so that when it flushes, less water is wasted. Last in the second row is a combination monitor and TV to save electricity. One screen for both computer and TV use will help save up overall electrical use in the house. In the fourth row there is a light timer so that all lights in the house turn on and off at a certain time and so that lights aren't turned on when they shouldn't be. To the right is a double base sink that has two compartments, one will be filled with water to wash dishes and the other is a regular flow sink so that the water isn't continuously running while washing dishes. Lastly is a solar powered refrigerator. As see in the diagram below, the kitchen has a wide window in the back so the fridge will receive plenty of sunlight through the window in order to function.