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Kokomuka Green Home
listed by Peninsula

View from front

Eco house image: View from front
Property for sale: Kokomuka Green Home
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Timber paneling on north side with recycled double glazed windows

New Zealand > Otago > Portobello

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Sale Details
Price:  
 

Property Details
Land area:   1549 m2
Date built:   2005
Bedrooms:   3
Bathrooms:   1
Living areas:   1
 

Property Features
Study / office ,  Water views
 

Description

This stunning architecturally designed home has been built to be ecologically benign and energy efficient. It uses solar water heating, has extra-deep wall cavities with natural wool insulation and all windows are double-glazed. It uses a passive solar designed via an insulated concrete foundation and is north facing to capture all day sun and fabulous water views.

Detailed PDF (650kb PDF)

There is no chemically treated timber in the house but is built from untreated hardwood for all external faces and varnished with natural oils. The house is remarkably chemical free and provides a very safe living environment.

The clever shape of the house is perfectly curved to reflect the focal point of due north. It provides a unique and functional design that blends into its harbour setting.

The passive solar design makes this an extraordinarily warm house, even in the depths of winter. Due to the design there is minimal heat loss, and a small amount of sun heats the house up very quickly. The kitchen has a Rayburn cooker and can run on wood and/or coal. It heats the water and runs the highly efficient central heating system through out the house. There is also a gas cooker for when the Rayburn is not on.

Solar panels on roof are the primary source of water heating and during summer supply virtually all hot water needs. The hot water system is also hooked up to main power as a back up if required.

The lounge/living area looks out across the harbour via three sets of French doors that open out onto a uniquely shaped deck, complete with sail to protect from the sun. The lounge also has an open fire that not only provides 3kw of heat in winter, but also adds to the aesthetics of the room.

The house features a large master bedroom with stunning views at night of the moon over the water. The other two upstairs bedrooms are large single or small doubles (great for bunks) and all bedrooms have inbuilt wardrobes. There are two upstairs balconies overlooking the water, and are north facing capturing all day sun. The 4th bedroom can also act as a study/office and can be externally accessed.

The property has been carefully landscaped with indigenous plants chosen for their aesthetic features, drought tolerance and fit in the local ecology, as well as being low maintenance.

There is a large front lawn leading down to a gate which is just metres from the harbour edge. The harbour is very shallow here and great for even young children. At low tide the water retreats several hundred meters and provides an ever-changing scene. At full tide, fish can be seen just metres from the front gate, and flounder are caught at night just metres from shore.

The rear of the house has a driveway wide enough for two vehicles to park nest to the back door. It also has a very large 4 car garage and workshop. The rear of the property is sheltered from the Southerlies and has much potential for a large vegetable garden. The grey water system discharges into the ground here proving a great water supply for fruit trees. The property is fully fenced and is ideal for pets including dogs. The beach is a perfect place to walk the dog each morning.

It is a short 5 minutes to the Portobello shops, and only 20-25 minutes to the heart of Dunedin. The road to Harwood has recently been upgraded and widened and this has significantly improved driving times. The drive along the harbour must be one of New Zealand’s most beautiful drives.

The other direction down the harbour leads to the world significant albatross colony at Taiaroa Heads, and one of New Zealand’s most significant wild life refuges. The peninsula is one of the South Islands significant eco-tourist destinations.

Other Notes

The property has a 30,000 litre tank and runs a pressurised water system providing mains-like pressure for the shower.

The bathroom has a large and uniquely designed shower, and large recycled cast iron bath that looks our across the harbour.

The kitchen has a dishwasher.

There are lights under and on the deck, and lights all around top of house. These are designed so restrict people seeing into the house at night enabling the curtains to be left open if one wishes. That way the night views across the harbour can be seen while still retaining privacy.

Local trades people were used as much as possible, with the forge in Portobello making the iron stair railings complete with Geckos and also the Gecko door handles on the deck.

There is a surround sound system wired into house.

The property is wired up to enable it to run off grid, and for the installation of a wind turbine. The cables run out to the far corner of the property and so a wind turbine could be easily installed.

See more details of this house (650kb PDF)

 
 

Your comments:

by phptek 24 Nov 09, 0 replies : Last Post Sort by:
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This forum thread has been marked as a question and has yet to have an accepted answer. You can earn 'Eco Points' by answering other Ecobob user's forum questions.

Author Post
phptek
44 posts
This forum thread has been marked as a question for other Ecobob users to answer. Rayburn info 
Posted 24 Nov 09 8:31 PM
Hi there,

What a fantastic sounding house you have here. We're building something very similar, with a Rayburn for DHW and CH. I wanted to ask: Which Rayburn model do you have? How many radiators does it heat and how hot do they get? Any Rayburn related info, I'd be keen to hear it!

Thanks a lot.
 

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