Building an eco-friendly home — one that’s sustainable, off-grid, and forever — takes effort and consideration, and more often than not, an expert touch.
Of course, your efforts are always worth it and are always rewarded, whether in money saved over time or in the mere satisfaction you’ve put the environment and the future of the planet first in your build or renovation.
Research is required and additional steps may be taken to ensure a sustainable build, and some parts of the process will demand specialty tradespeople, certified architects and eco designers to secure the ideal end result.
But now, one company has set out to make the process much easier, with a pre-fabricated planet-friendly, energy-efficient and affordable smart home that’s designed by the world’s most knowledgable planet-conscious architects.
Dimensions X (or DimX, as the founders affectionately call the project), is a collaboration between prolific Australian architect Peter Stutchbury and entrepreneur Oscar Martin.
Together, the two visionaries set out to develop an affordable solution to Australia’s housing crisis — one that also encouraged everyday Australians to prioritise a sustainable and eco-friendly existence — by designing module homes that can be constructed in just six weeks.
“Why can’t everyday Australian’s live in a beautiful, affordable, planet-friendly home designed by the world’s best architects?” Oscar Martin says.
DimX’s first home design, OM-1, is considered its base model, though more future building designs are expected to launch over time.
The OM-1 appears a thoughtfully designed one-bedroom home, with a kitchen, living room, dining area, desk space, bedroom, bathroom, and plenty of functional storage.
It’s described by Stutchbury as a “planet-friendly base model housing unit that represented current technologies and responsibilities” and is constructed using one of the world’s most sustainable building materials, cross-laminated timber, which is regarded for its air-tight qualities, energy efficiency and concrete-like strength.
The dwelling is purchased and customised entirely online, where buyers can change up the orientation and design, and apply additional inclusions like environmental roofs, solar energy, composting and rainwater tanks, mineral pools, beehives, energy efficiency white goods, furniture, smart-home tech and even eco sheets.
Built to completion at an Australian site, the dwelling is then delivered directly to the site in which it will sit. The whole process from start to finish is expected to take around six weeks.
“OM-1 is a cost-effective, recyclable unit that can be delivered to site and erected over a several-week period. It comes with environmental spatial and finish options and is the first low-cost pre-fab that can accommodate a flexible environmental skylight system,” says Stutchbury.
“This system can be adapted to suit orientation providing flexibility over a range of sites. The unit is easily expanded or contracted and integrates with a refined ordering system that facilitates purchaser selection and associated costs.”
Martin says DimX will not only encourage an affordable and eco-friendly existence from buyers, but will also foster a better future for construction, by hiring and training tradespeople on these new technologies.
“The future success for architects, developers and builders should be measured on the amount of waste leaving a building site. DimensionsX will create jobs and reduce emissions,” he says.
Whether purchased as a permanent home, guest house, holiday escape, or studio space, DimX certainly has its priorities in order for helping along a sustainable future for living.
Those interested can register for news and updates on the site now, while OM-1 is expected to hit the market in 2021.