Bruny Island – Ecoshelta: This project was in the northwestern region of Tasmania’s remote and rugged Bruny Island. Only just over an hour’s drive from Hobart however, needing a ferry to get there – this beautiful island is the quintessential Tasmanian wilderness experience.

Challenges

This location is not only situated on the remote Bruny Island and therefore all materials had to be delivered to site via ferry however this location was bordering an area of significant conservation value with both the Quarantine Bay State Reserve and Marks Point Conservation Area bordering the property.

Bruny Island due to it remoteness is famous for the abundance of wildlife and is seen as a safe haven for endangered species such as the Swift Parrot and Forty Spotted Pardalote. The areas surrounding the site also had areas of significant Aboriginal cultural value.

Response

Being situated on such a remote island in such an environmentally sensitive, coastal location Ecoshelta eco pods were the perfect answer. With the majority of works being carried out in Ecoshelta’s Hobart factory this prevented the damages of high human traffic associated with a traditional building site. Similarly, the Kettering ferry is only small and therefore a completely fabricated and modular design was not plausible. Ecoshelta delivered the entire building in a ‘kit of parts’ – with Ecoshelta’s aluminium framing ideal in preventing the corrosion associated with coastal buildings. The short building period of four months was enough time to have the project complete and ready for reservations leading into the busy Easter holiday period.

Ecoshelta’s unique footing system meant that minimal concrete was used in the construction. Small (removable) footings 600mm x 600m were set out in a 2.5 metre grid along the building. Furthermore, Ecoshelta’s telescopic footing system allowed the building to sit above the ground without preventing the natural movement of water, soils & seeds, flora & fauna.

The passive design elements of the house with large eaves, double glazing, building positioning and louvre windows allow for easy control of internal building temperatures. The use of a wood pellet fireplace was also a sustainable measure to ensure that the energy required for heating was provided using minimal and recycled materials. All timbers for the buildings were sustainable sources and locally produced native Tasmanian species meeting all FSC standards. All water for the site is harvested through rainwater catchments and the highly advanced aerated wastewater system has allowed for safe native garden bed transpiration.

Replanting of native understorey, mid-storey and upper-storey vegetation will allow for a fully restored, environmentally sound building site in years to follow with plenty of habitat for native fauna. Please find more at www.freespiritpods.com