Omnia House, by Elizabeth Wheeler of Future Focus Buildings and Tamar Boyd of Blue Lotus Energy Rating, has taken out the National Award for the Design Matters National True Zero Carbon Challenge 2022. Source: Timberbiz
In addition to the National Award, Omnia House also came away with the Victorian State Award.
The DMN True Zero Carbon Challenge is an annual competition where a building designer and home energy assessor team up to design a home that not only produces more power than it uses over a year but calculates embodied carbon in material selection. Through energy-efficient design, careful appliance selection and enough photovoltaic panels to pay back the home’s entire carbon debt by 2050 this inaugural competition attracted entries from across Australia.
This Challenge not only furnishes entrants with the necessary skills to thrive in the coming decades but paves the way to true Net Zero housing. The competition is pivotal to show what is possible and to let the industry know that DMN members are ready, willing, and able to meet the challenges of the low carbon future.
“DMN Members Elizabeth Wheeler and Tamar Boyd were the deserving recipients of the highest accolade in the 2022 True Zero Carbon Challenge Awards which saw entries from Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland, this year,” DMN CEO Peta Anderson said.
“We congratulate Elizabeth Wheeler and Tamar Boyd on winning the Victorian and National Awards in this year’s inaugural DMN True Zero Carbon Challenge. Their project is a real stand-out, sustainable, and ready to build. Omnia House makes a strong sustainable statement and is an exceptional conceptual design,” Ms. Anderson said.
“In awarding Omnia House, the top prize, the judges remarked that they enjoyed the way Omnia House’s edible garden with raised wicking beds and dwarf fruit forest provided organic produce, and the front lockable bike port encouraged healthy transport habits. They also liked the way the house is cleverly set up for maximum flexibility of changing occupation over the years, including easy separation of the dwelling into two homes for extra rental income, or for a carer to live in enabling the owners to age in place without losing connection to neighbours and community.” Ms. Anderson said.
