north east regional extra | December 15 - 21, 2021
nemedia.com.au
1.
December 15 - 21, 2021
Pioneers getting ready to say goodbye ◆ CHEERS: John and Freida toast the first straw bales going into the house in November 2001.
◆ AS IT STANDS TODAY: John Lloyd and Freida Andrew’s sustainable property was one of the first in the North East area 20 years ago. PHOTO: Ray White Benalla
By BELINDA HARRISON IN 2000 Freida Andrews and John Lloyd were seen as pioneers as they sought out builders, designers and land to build a sustainable home in regional Victoria - eventually settling at Chesney Vale. Twenty years on, the couple are preparing to say goodbye to their beloved home but know that their hard work and innovative design will benefit whoever moves in. In the 1970s, John lived in Wangaratta and during his career in education, spent time in rural Victoria, where he developed a passion for the nearby mountains, particularly in the ski season. Freida on the other hand had always been a city girl, first in Adelaide and then in Melbourne.
“Initially from Adelaide, I lived in inner Melbourne for a very short time before moving to the outer suburbs which is where I started to really appreciate the natural environment around me,” Freida said. John and Freida’s search coincided with land that was being developed in Chesney Vale and overlooked what was then Lake Mokoan and is now the Winton Wetlands. “It was relatively untouched and because of the large granite outcrops which are typical of Chesney Vale, it didn’t hold a lot of appeal for local farmers, however for us it was perfect,” John said. “The large trees, which we believe are around 100 years old, and the native shrubs and grasses on the site only reinforced its appeal to us,” Freida agreed.
“We wanted something that would not only be sustainable and energy efficient, but that also blended into the natural environment, not sit on top of it.” “We did discuss buying an established home however, I’d had a long standing interest in sustainable living and was keen to put those principles into practise,” John said. With the land secured, the next questions for John and Freida were what type of house would they build and would they owner-build or engage a builder? A straw-bale construction got the nod with its natural properties of energy efficiency and fire resistance appealing to John and the aesthetics and natural sound insulation winning Freida over. “We chose Ken Sibley of NRG Systems as our designer as he had a sound knowledge of
features that could be used to ensure sustainability and as he lived in the Wangaratta area, he was familiar with the local climate,” John said. Most builders in the region were not familiar with straw construction so John, who had volunteered with a couple of straw-bale builders elsewhere, along with the help of his friend Bob, who had extensive experience in building, became an owner-builder. The house was constructed using only environmentally friendly timber, paints and wood finishes wherever possible which added to other sustainable features including a grid interactive photovoltaic system, 90,000 litre rainwater tank, biological toilet treatment and waste systems, double glazed windows and flow through ventilation supported by a large clerestory window.
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YOUR GARDEN
GONE FISHING
WINE TALK
YOUR HEALTH
ANIMAL CARE
with MANDI
with ROB
with ANITA
with DIANA
with Jappy
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