Winner of BDAV 10-Star Sustainable Design Challenge announced

‘Hacksaw House’, an ambitious yet simple building design of a 10-star sustainable home, has taken out the prestigious Building Designers Association of Victoria’s (BDAV) 2018 10-Star Sustainable Design Challenge.

The annual Design Challenge invites BDAV members to prepare a residential design – across any climate zone in Australia – for a single dwelling or multi-residential project, which achieves a NatHERS 10 Star energy rating.

This year’s inspiring challenge winner, ‘Hacksaw House’, was designed by Gruen Eco Design – in collaboration with Paperback Design – and recognised by the judges as a worthy winner and “an exceptional and admirable building design with a highly creative and innovative approach.”

Its designers took a refreshing look at passive solar design, by investigating alternatives to the more traditional north-south floorplan and producing a zig-zagging north-façade, to invite the sun to penetrate deep into the house for long hours throughout the day.

Gruen Eco Design Director, Simone Schenkel, said the team was delighted with the award win and the official recognition of its expertise in the sustainability space.

“With a strong focus on employing recycled materials in the design including concrete slab, brick and timber; Hacksaw House boasts sustainability from the ground up,” said Ms Schenkel.

“Sustainable design begins at the drawing board and Hacksaw House is an excellent example of how sustainable materials and features can be incorporated into the early stages of building design.”

A Commendation was also awarded to SUHO studio – in collaboration with Studio Element Australia – for its ‘Sagacious Today’ entry, a design which also carefully considered all aspects of sustainability.

According to the judging panel, the ‘Sagacious Today’ design went “beyond being just 10-Stars and carefully considered all aspects of sustainability from passive solar design to thermal performance, embodied energy and life cycle assessment, affordability, regenerative energies and its interaction with the surrounding landscape.”

For more background information on the 2018 winners as well as a list of past 10-Star Sustainable Design Challenge winners, please visit bdav.org.au