Welcome to TUSC's Case Study Library! This section has been designed to give examples of sustainable developments in action. All case studies listed are felt to have achieved a high level of sustainability. Each case study provides a short description, summary of features, link to further information, and a completed TUSC tool evaluation. To enter the TUSC tool evaluation, click on the green arrow. The tool has been completed using the case study data. Flick through the tool's pages, see what options have been chosen, see their impact upon the sustainability of the home, evaluate the result pages, and learn from the experience of others. For further information on the purpose and outputs of the tools, click on the blue question mark icon.
Earthsong
Earthsong Eco-Neighbourhood is an innovative urban housing development located in Swanson Road, Waitakere City. Earthsong’s 32 homes are built amidst 4 acres of organic orchard and an area of native bush. Earthsong is modelled on the principles of permaculture and co-housing. Co-housing is the term coined to describe a housing arrangement developed in Denmark over the last 30 years, and now adopted increasingly throughout Europe and North America. Developed and managed by the residents themselves, it combines the autonomy of private dwellings with the advantages of community living. Although individual dwellings are designed to be self-contained—each having its own kitchen, bathroom and living areas—the extensive common facilities and in particular optional commonhouse dinners are valued features of co-housing. Cars are kept at the edge of the site to create a pedestrian friendly area designed for casual interaction and safe play for children. Earthsong welcomes visitors by prior arrangement and periodically holds public open days (small admission fee applies). For more information, visit their website at www.earthsong.org.nz.
Features:
All houses within the Earthsong neighbourhood incorporate the following features:
- Sustainable building material (rammed earth, macrocarpa timber, etc)
- Passive and active solar energy
- Rainwater harvesting
- Improved site runoff characteristics
- Solar hot water heating
- Reduced impervious area
- Use of pervious paving
- Common amenity areas
- Alternative transport provisions
- Community strengthening initiatives
Beacon NOW Home
The Beacon NOW home is a single, high sustainability dwelling situated at Olympic Pl, New Lynn, Auckland. The NOW home is designed to represent best practice in sustainable design, technologies and material usage. It was specifically designed to be affordable to most New Zealanders and caters for a hypothetical, average, young New Zealand family. For more information, visit their website at www.nowhome.co.nz.
Features:
The Beacon NOW home comprises:
- A single storey, three bedroom home of 149 m2 (including garage)
- Energy, water and resource efficient fittings and materials including: low flow shower head and dual flush toilet
- Solar heating
- Building materials and practices at least as good as, or in excess of Building Code minimum standards eg: wall and roof insulation twice the building code
- Strong, durable building materials chosen to maintain capital value and ensure resilience
- Raintank and rainwater reuse for shower, bath, toilet, and washing machine
- Pervious paving for outdoor paved areas
- Infiltration trench to treat and attenuate runoff from grassed areas, sized to 100% of the ARC required size
West Coast Road
Unit 1
Unit 2A
Unit 2B
Unit 2C
Unit 3
Unit 4A
Unit 4B
Unit 4C
Unit 5