Western Pathway
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More than 30 people now live at WestWyck with the completion of six of the seven apartments and the five townhouses. The roof, grey, black and storm water systems are all functioning and the new highly energy-efficient townhouses (up to the equivalent of an 8.5 star rating) are generating their own power and feeding this back into the grid. What a pity the Brumby Government failed to seize the opportunity to introduce an effective solar PV feed-in tariff!
The landscaping is nearly finished and is attracting attention from all who visit and from those who live at WestWyck. The paths are enticing, the lighting is subtle, the art-work is evident whichever way one looks. Sustainable building can most certainly be design of the highest quality and character and WestWyck Stage One is proving that.
The beautiful Kanookas, the Water Gums, have been unveiled as the builders fences were removed. 'We are so appreciative of the care applied to these trees by the builders' said Mike. 'The trees are there for their beauty but they are also an intrinsic part of the water treatments system for the housing.' The Kanookas have attained quite a bit of height while they were combatting scaffolding and rendering. The Kanookas are part of a landscaped system of swale drains and transpiration beds and bollard carpark lighting (see photos).
Mike and Lorna are glowing with pride and learning to hand over the whole complex to the emerging Owners’ Corporation. The signs are that the new future of WestWyck is in very good hands!’
Finally new households started moving into the completed townhouses in Easter 2008. The first reactions were just so positive according to Mike: 'One family told me they were so in love with their new house', he said.
The landscaping is almost complete, the solar panels are connected and the hot water is solar heated.
The completed work has attracted a great deal of attention for Derek's amazing steel work. The panels blend in with the rockwork to create fences and nooks and to hide away some of the services, but there are times when the steelwork becomes a feature in itself. Here you can see panels lined up for final fixing to the fencing abutting the internal pathways.
Derek has reason to smile as he completes a steel gate on #9.
Tanya Ha, television presenter and environmental campaigner in The Age (Melbourne) Magazine Issue #40 February 08 in The Melbourne Quiz was asked:
'If money were no object, where would you live in Melbourne?'
Tanya answered:
'WestWyck, a green redevelopment of what used to be Brunswick West Primary School.'
Alfonso Guglielmi and his CDM team experienced some hold-ups towards the end of 2007 but they are now well underway with the fit-out of the five Hunter St townhouses.
Plumbing and wiring is completed, the under-deck 'bagel' water tanks have been installed and the decking has been constructed on top of them, the polished concrete slabs have been protected while the cabinets and benches are being completed, the roofs are bristling with photo-voltaic cells, solar hot water systems and roof windows and all cladding and rendering is finished. Landscaping is under way and the granite pillars have been inserted along the pathways to the north of the houses. The landscaping team has built the ‘barbecue' decking and the water tanks are finally due for delivery this month or next.
See how they're shaping up on our Photo Gallery page.
Stage Two has started! A brief has been prepared and three teams of architects have been invited to present a master plan for the Stage Two development of the site by February. The brief identifies project objectives and details of the Stage One site development that need to be transferred and integrated into Stage Two. WestWyck aims to elicit an innovative master plan and then move into the planning process in 2008.
G Magazine recently featured WestWyck in a 5-page photo and article spread under the "My Green House" section.
Thomson has now sold all of the five townhouses. WestWyck has chosen EcoProperty Pty Ltd as a specialist selling partner because of their expertise in environmental property. Thomson has been selected as the local agent.
EcoProperty Guide to WestWyck (Click to download)
WestWyck's original strategy had been to retain two or three of the townhouses to auction when they were completed. The strategy has been blown away by enthusiastic people wanting to buy into WestWyck and not wishing to take a chance on what the price might be early in 2008. The exciting news is that people making purchases into WestWyck are motivated by the thought of becoming part of a community with an environmental focus.
The WestWyck courtyard is being transformed. After nearly a decade of being part of a building site, the WestWyck courtyard has been re-rendered, painted and re-plumbed. Re-building of the stain glass windows and the southern façade, installing decking and then some landscaping is to follow. A progress photograph shows Craig Maguire at work on the transformation.
Yarra Valley Water’s Annual Report devotes a whole page to WestWyck's water efficiency and recycling features.
You can download the relevant chapter from the Annual Report.
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