Mahana three-bedroom homes

We designed and built two new homes for Habitat for Humanity in Christchurch, housing two families under Habitat’s Progressive Home Ownership (rent-to-buy) programme.

Extensive use of natural timber throughout these homes means they have an exceptionally low carbon footprint, while the innovative design and low-carbon, long-lasting components mean that they have a substantially reduced operational carbon footprint – they are inexpensive to run and maintain.

The single-storey, three-bedroom homes sit on timber piles and naillam bearers, and are clad in in Colorsteel and Siberian larch shiplap timber. The low-maintenance, low allergen Strandboard floors and wipe-clean laminated wall linings will look great for years, while PIR insulated roof panels provide a R7.4 insulation value. Balanced air ventilation with heat recovery keeps the homes dry, and radiators driven by a hot water heat pump provide efficient radiant heating and hot water.

Skillion ceilings and built-in furniture and storage add to a generous sense of space. Rather than compromising on room size, the innovative design has the living areas and bedrooms separated by a central service core, with bathrooms and the laundry located for efficient plumbing, ventilation and acoustic separation.

These homes perform to a Homestar 7-8 equivalent, guaranteeing the families who live in them many years of healthy, low-cost, low maintenance living.