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Tauranga - Eco Credentials™ Showhome
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Eco Credentials™ Kowhai is a contemporary, environmentally-friendly, architecturally-designed three bedroom home, built with ecologically responsible materials and techniques to create a living environment totally in tune with the modern family…and the planet.
AS WITH ALL OTHER SIGNATURE HOMES, THE KOWHAI IS COVERED BY OUR EIGHT, INDUSTRY-LEADING HOME GUARANTEES.
Multiple entries, indoor-outdoor transition spaces, and an abundance of natural light set the Kowhai apart. The exterior styling expresses an affinity with the natural surroundings, with an individuality that is as visually attractive as it is practical.
Eco Credentials™ delivers a balance of pleasurable living with the assurance of environmental responsibility, all in a package that is affordable. As with all other Signature Homes, the Kowhai is covered by our eight, industry-leading home guarantees.
THIS IS THE NEW HOME YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.
With evidence of the effects of human activity on our planet increasingly accepted, it's timely to present some practical measures that can be taken to offset those effects.
A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.
Our Eco Credentials™ programme employs carefully researched and implemented materials and techniques to achieve the right balance between environmental responsibility and practicality.
ECO CREDENTIALS™ KOWHAI CONSTRUCTION INITIATIVES.
One of the main aims of the programme is to reduce energy consumption during the home's construction, as well as during its ongoing use.
The Kowhai uses renewable pine timber as retaining material for section levelling. Locally grown pine forests reduce carbon, as timber stores, rather than releases carbon. All excavated material is re-used on site where possible, reducing the need to bring in new fill, or to truck it away, delivering savings in fuel and associated carbon emmissions.
Construction is planned to ensure that the delivery of materials avoids the duplication of trips and wastage of manpower, all of which can negatively impact the carbon footprint of the home.
Eco Credentials™ is about exceeding approved building requirements where there is potential for energy savings. Aluminium joinery, for example, is double glazed to practically eliminate heat transfer between indoor and outdoor areas, therefore less energy is needed to warm the home in winter and to cool it in summer. The concrete slab is insulated, reducing heat loss and thus ongoing energy use.
Other innovative features have been implemented, such as high-level internal doors which offer better airflow from room to room for a more uniformly warm or cool environment. Decking and fencing take advantage of timber's carbon storage, and being renewable and locally grown, they benefit New Zealand and of course, our planet.
WATER IS ARGUABLY THE MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE THAT OUR PLANET POSSESSES.
Water conservation should feature strongly in a dwelling boasting a high degree of environmental responsibility.
Intelligently designed and engineered mixer and shower fittings use 40% less water than others in common use, smart flush cisterns save 25% over traditional dual flush models, and rainwater is captured and stored for use in cistern flushing. Wastewater from the showers and laundry is used in driplines to irrigate the lawn and garden. Hot water is primarily delivered by solar heating, a major saving in energy use compared with electric or gas-heated water.
LIVING THE PROMISE.
The greatest energy usage often occurs when heating a home in winter, and here the Eco Credentials™ programme offers significant benefits. Underfloor heating uses solar-heated water to maintain comfortable interior temperatures day and night. There's also a highly efficient, cost-effective heat pump back-up.
Heated towel rails use timers to provide the greatest benefit with the least energy consumption. Tiles used in the kitchen, family and dining areas, absorb heat during the day and release it back into the home at night. Also, wall and ceiling insulation exceed building standards by a wide margin, resulting in reduced heat loss and lower energy consumption. The Pink Batts insulation used in the Kowhai have the added advantage of being made from 75% recycled glass.
While the home-owner's own habits have a significant bearing on energy consumption, Signature Homes has put together an innovative package of features to keep energy use, and also usage costs to a minimum.
For example, we use one of the most energy efficient gas fires available, and cooking is also done with gas, recognised as the most efficient method available. The electrical appliances are low energy-use models, and fluorescent, halogen and LED lights have been fitted.
ECO CREDENTIALS™ IS NOT JUST ABOUT ENERGY USE.
For instance, the benchtop the Eco Credentials™ programme recommends is made from quartz; natural, beautiful and incredibly hard-wearing. The carpets specified are New Zealand made and of course, 100% wool.
The sealants and adhesives we use in construction and finishing are chosen for their environmental soundness, as much as for their effectiveness, and where possible solvent-based products are avoided. The paint specified for internal finishing is Wattyl's Eco-Proof, for the best possible performance without compromising the environment.
Signature Homes are proud to be developing environmentally responsible initiatives, and committed to constantly improving our Eco Credentials™ programme with the adoption of new products and techniques that help reduce the carbon footprint of our homes.
We're committed to constantly improving our Eco-Credentials™ programme with the adoption of new products and techniques that help reduce the carbon footprint of the homes we build.
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