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Health & Happiness

The materials used in our buildings directly affects the experience people will have at The Headwaters Eco Lodge Glenorchy.

Our ability to connect our buildings and the guest experience to the surrounding environment is a uge part of our goal.

Test Lab

The existing staff house on the Camp Glenorchy site has been turned into a ‘Test Lab’. A team worked throughout the winter of 2015 to test the systems that will be used to provide heating and hot water in our Camp Glenorchy guest cabins. They are now testing how people interact with the systems, to find the right balance between automation and manual control so our guest cabins are easy to enjoy while using the least energy possible.

Passive Design

Buildings at The Headwaters Eco Lodge will harness the power of the sun and wind to provide healthy, comfortable spaces with minimal energy use for those working or staying with us.

The size, placement and layout of windows has been designed to capture energy and light from the sun, reducing the need for heating and lighting. Opening windows by varying degrees will allow fresh air to circulate through the buildings and shading features will keep them cool on hot summer days. Acoustic insulation will reduce noise transfer both between rooms and between indoor and outdoor spaces.

High Performing Building Envelope

The building envelope separates the inside of a building from the outside environment. It is the physical layer containing the building's framing, insulation, interior lining and exterior cladding.

Our buildings will have a high level of air tightness and insulation to help keep them warm and dry in winter and cool in summer.

Thermal insulation will be 60% higher than the New Zealand Building Code requirement. The building’s airtightness will follow the stringent Passive House standards.

Integrated Design

We believe that incorporating different points of view throughout the design process creates opportunities for even better outcomes.

Project team members from many different disciplines have been actively collaborating in the design of The Headwaters Eco Lodge to create buildings where the architecture, systems and the environment work together to improve comfort and achieve high levels of energy and water efficiency.

 

There's so much more to find out...

Beauty
Beauty can be expressed in many forms and is a very personal experience.
Celebrating design that uplifts the human spirit
Energy
The Headwaters Eco Lodge has been designed to achieve Net Zero Energy Building Certification (NZEB) 
in accordance with the requirements of the Living Building Challenge
Harnessing energy from the sun for operation
Equity
The Headwaters Eco Lodge seeks to foster a healthy relationship with the entirety of its surrounding environment.
Supporting a just equitable world
Health & Happiness
Human health, comfort and happiness are deeply affected by many aspects of our environment, including the air we breathe, the surfaces we touch, the noises we hear, and the views we see.
Creating spaces that optimise health and wellbeing
Materials
The building industry is a significant user of chemicals and products which are considered “worst in class” for their impact on human and environmental health.
Using products that are safe for all species through time
Place
The site will feature a variety of elements that are designed to reduce effects on our local environment – including the air, waterways and soil.
Restoring a healthy relationship with nature
Water
The Headwaters has been designed, built and operated to allow us to provide for our own water needs as much as possible.
Operating within the local water balance