WestWyck News

Payback time for carbon neutral housing

2012-02-07T17:25:00.001+11:00

Cost can often be a turn-off factor when it comes to sustainable building. But, a study of the proposed Cape Paterson Ecovillage in South Gippsland, Victoria, suggests the tables are turning – building green can take years off the average mortgage and save hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Read the full article in Ecos magazine.

WestWyck documentary

2011-12-29T15:13:00.000+11:00

WestWyck features in a short documentary made by RMIT students.

WestWyck from kltie ietlk on Vimeo.

Cape Paterson Zero Carbon Study

2011-12-29T14:38:00.000+11:00

The Cape Paterson Ecovillage is Australia’s first zero carbon housing project championing biodiversity, sustainability and community. Like WestWyck, Cape Paterson has faced delays due to planning issues, but it is finally happening.

The Cape Paterson Ecovillage has just undertaken a 'zero carbon study' commissioned by Sustainability Victoria which excitingly shows that sustainable technology has reached a tipping point where the financial benefits of building and living in environmentally friendly homes now far outweigh the costs. At last we can begin to be confident in saying that financial and environmental objectives go together.

The study assessed the performance of concept homes designed for the Ecovillage against conventional new homes and a pre-existing Victorian home. The study deliberately avoided assuming government support for sustainability features would be available. In brief, the study’s major findings (using the Cape Paterson Ecovillage as a model) include:

Thanks largely to more efficient in-home technology, onsite power supply and electric vehicles, investing in sustainability features could realise up to 10% after tax returns per annum over 20 years;
Continued improvements to house design, a bulk construction program, bulk buying program and delivery model innovation will drive down costs and further improve the financial proposition for residents;
Extra investment in sustainability features is easily offset by energy and water savings that allow faster mortgage repayments.

You can read the full detailed study on the Cape Paterson Ecovillage website.

Christmas Garlic

2011-12-24T15:04:00.000+11:00

The WestWyck Christmas party proved a good time to divvy up the garlic grown during winter.

Fiona and friends admire the crop prior to
the great share-up.

GreenTown comes to WestWyck

2011-10-22T15:29:00.000+11:00

Shoukry and Magda Sidrak from the GreenTown Arabic-speaking program bring members from their community group, The Butterfly Club, to Westwyck in July 2011 to learn more about sustainable house design. GreenTown is a sustainable living program run by Environment Victoria and funded by the Victorian Government Sustainability Fund. GreenTown works with culturally and linguistically diverse communities across Melbourne, training community leaders to be home sustainability assessors.

Sustainable House Day

2011-09-17T12:00:00.002+10:00

This year WestWyck was once again open for the Alternative Technology Association’s Sustainable House Day.
WestWyck P/L and the WestWyck Owners’ Corporate are proud to host this event and put the WestWyck development model on display as it stands as a national and international leading example of medium density, quality design sustainable development and as such provides a challenge to the broader community.
Given that WestWyck had nearly 400 visitors in 2010, we beat the bushes to drum up volunteers to cope with anticipated large numbers. However, grey skies, high wind, a bit of rain, Essendon and Carlton playing a life and death footy game and the increased numbers of sites open in 2011 combined to reduce the numbers of visitors for Sustainable House Day in 2011.
While WestWyck was disappointed to be able to host only 150 people, ATA has reported to us that numbers were generally down to this extent right around the state.

We finished up with a fine bevy of helpers, tour guides and lunch-makers who made major contributions to the success of the day. The feedback was as usual extremely positive and the questions showed we had some pretty informed visitors, people who had been thinking about how to reduce their personal footprint for some time.

One perverse benefit of having lower numbers was that we had more time to engage in more in-depth discussion with the visitors.

The photo shows one of our volunteer tour guides, Ed Cotter, at work with a group.

And we noticed that blogger "idontwearblack" was impressed by a visit to WestWyck on Sustainable House Day.

Read post

Article on WestWyck in The Switch Report

2011-09-06T22:26:00.001+10:00

The Switch Report is a showcase of Australian businesses that are making a real contribution to The Switch to a more sustainable economy.

The Switch Report featured WestWyck in a recent article.

Business Models for Enabling Sustainable Precincts Report

2011-07-13T21:53:00.005+10:00

WestWyck was one of 16 projects selected by Sustainability Victoria’s (SV) Sustainable Precincts Program. The program aims to stimulate the development of sustainable precincts and neighbourhoods across Victoria, through:

facilitating demonstration sites
promoting the business case for sustainable precincts
building industry capacity through the dissemination of knowledge and information on how sustainable precinct solutions can be applied.

Through the release of this report, which can be downloaded from the SV website, SV is seeking to demonstrate the use of innovative business models for the delivery of precinct level sustainability initiatives. The report documents research into innovative business models that have been used to finance, deliver, manage and operate infrastructure and services in sustainable precincts. The report focuses on both local and international models specifically relating to energy, water, waste and transport. These models overcome market, regulatory and technical barriers and have a positive triple bottom line outcome. The research utilised an ‘innovation framework’ to explore the maturity of the business models used to deliver sustainable precincts.

The research was undertaken by Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd (MEFL), Net Balance and Green Spark Consulting. It included a combination of desktop research, interviews, focus groups, and reviews of business models/plans, strategies and financial information. Forty-three projects in 12 countries were analysed, 16 of which were selected for deeper analysis based on meeting sustainability, innovation and potential-to-replicate criteria.

Few of the case studies were found to be at a mainstream commercial stage; that is, projects which incur no risk

premium and offer fully commercial rates of return. Further, the more mainstream the projects were, the fewer sustainability features or outcomes they displayed. For a range of market, innovation, regulatory and other reasons, most projects which display truly innovative features, major sustainability status, and address important social and economic objectives, require at least initial support from government or ‘angel investors’, if only to prove up innovation and demand. The research showed that many sustainable precinct projects have the potential to be replicated in Victoria.

WestWyck wins UNAA award

2011-06-15T13:54:00.002+10:00

United Nations Association of Australia
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY AWARDS 2011

Winners were announced at the Awards Presentation Dinner held at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne on Friday 3 June, 2011. This gala event was hosted by Mark Davis, Presenter, SBS Dateline.

The new Peter Szental Award for Sustainability Entrepreneurship, launched this year in memory of Peter Szental, leading entrepreneur in sustainability and tireless champion of environmental causes, went to the WestWyck Ecovillage. This urban development model, created on the principle of building a village within a city, is now home to more than 30 people in Brunswick West. The project is a market leader for having embedded sustainability principles in its business model as well as its thoughtful use of resources, energy efficiency, generation of renewable energy and comprehensive water management.

Awards were presented across 16 categories to individuals, schools, community groups, businesses and local governments, highlighting top environmental initiatives and programs across Australia.

Amidst strong competition the new Sustainability Education Award was won by the Heyfield Community Resource Centre for their ‘Sustainable Smart Town Project’ which encouraged behavioural change and a commitment to sustainable living. Residents and businesses promoted their positive actions through a unique flag system: flying from rooftops across the town, these coloured flags are a source of community pride. The flags sparked curiosity amongst visitors and provided an incentive for change, complimenting the Resource Centre’s provision of practical, convenient and timely information on environmentally sustainable services and products, as well as rebates and subsidies available from both state and federal governments.

The Biodiversity Award was won by the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation’s ‘Yellow Crazy Ant Management Program.’ Dhimurru have successfully eradicated the Yellow Crazy Ant, one of the top 100 worst invasive species in the world, from over 21 sites in Arnhem Land over the last 5 years. This program has set new international standards for invasive species’ management.

Striving to make a significant difference to Australian greenhouse gas emissions by targeting inefficient older fridges and permanently removing them from the electricity network, Fridge Buyback in NSW was awarded the Business Award for Best Specific Environmental Initiative. Equally impressive was ethical clothing company 3Fish, the winner of the Sustainability Leadership Award for Small and Medium Organisations and Bentleigh Secondary College, winner of the Excellence in Sustainable Water Management Award.

The District Council of Mount Barker won the Local Government Award for Best Specific Environmental Initiative. Established in the early 1990s, the Laratinga Wetland saves 900 mega litres of water per year and recycles 25% of Mt Barker’s annual wastewater. The 12 hectares of lagoons and ponds are also a haven for local wildlife and residents alike.

Having been named finalists in three categories, the Kimberley Toad Busters took out the Community Award for their ‘What’s in Your Backyard? Project. Nearly 80 years since the introduction of the Cane Toad into Australia, the Kimberley Toad Busters are not only slowing the rate of toads as they advance towards the Kimberley, but are also empowering community members to gather important research data.

Established in 2000, the Awards Program is now in its 12th year and continues to acknowledge action taken at a local level to address global environmental issues.

Urban Coup at WestWyck

2011-04-20T18:51:00.003+10:00

WestWyck was pleased that the Urban Coup chose our communal vegetable garden as a site for their media conference.
Urban Coup is doing some valuable work in pushing the housing model further into the co-operative domain and WestWyck strongly supports their work.
See media report.

Garden bounty

2011-04-12T20:31:00.006+10:00

Recently we reported on the WestWyck apple harvest (see below). But there's so much more to the WestWykck garden.

The WestWyck shared garden has just been through its Autumn crop rotation and Garden Queen Fiona (pictured) has helped us maintain ‘fastidious records’ of produce and has calculated the commercial value of the 2011 garden harvest to this point.

From 11 Dec to 2 April:

All produce: 83 kg, worth more than $600

Fi used prices from the local supermarket, so it is well under what the actual value of produce would be if she had used the price for organic veggies!

REPORT - 11 Dec 2010 to 2 April 2011
	kg	number
Apples	2.1	14
basil	0.4715
beans	3.714
beetroot	1.81	9
bell peppers	0.082	9
cabbage	6.1	12
carrots	6.744	132
carrots + tops	2.037	34
cauliflower	0.196	1
climbing spinach	0.286	0
cucumber	4.128	32
eggplant	1.763	7
fig	2.608	23
garlic	0.034	2
herbs	0.055	0
leaves - beetroot	0.117	0
lettuce	1.255	2
mint	0.063	0
oregano	0.128	0
parsley	1.0285	0
rhubarb	2.032	26
rocket	0.339	0
rosemary	0	0
silverbeet	15.521
spring onion	0.189	11
tomato	18.35
zucchini	11.792	59

In memory of Andy Ingham

2011-04-12T20:26:00.002+10:00

Andy Ingham was a WestWyck resident, Brunswick activist and Councillor.

Sometimes our efforts indeed go rewarded! Andy Ingham lived at WestWyck until his death in 2001 at which time he was a Moreland Councillor. Andy was a passionate cyclist and occasional car hater who always supported the advancement of cycling. Here, nearly ten years after his death, one of his projects is coming to fruition thanks to the perseverance of Moreland City Council Transport Co-ordinator, Nicholas Elliot.

Here is Nicholas’ story:

"Mike, today we installed bike parking hoops (four) in one car parking space. You can see it if you take your bike down to Rays Café, 332 Victoria St Brunswick. When Andy was alive and Rays opened as the newest and grooviest coffee shop in Moreland, it attracted cyclists from the very start and we put bike parking on the footpath for them. Andy got all excited and suggested that we take over a car parking spot for bike parking. At the time I fobbed him off. I guess I lacked his daring but I never forgot his request and his enthusiasm for it. We’re now at a point where we want to trial car park to bike park conversions and when we were surveying sites, this was the first place I had in mind. It’s temporary for now, but all being well, we should be able to make it permanent.

He was a man ahead of time.

Anyway, if you do go down there, park your bike, have a coffee and toast his memory. I did! "

Visit to Christie Walk

2011-04-12T20:20:00.003+10:00

Rose Read from the Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action visited Christie Walk last month. She was asked whether she had heard of WestWyck! Rose made the following comparisons and comments and sent through a photograph of a very well vegetated Christie Walk.

‘Similar and yet different; both great practical demonstrations of liveable environments ‘Dare I say I was so impressed by the place and what has been achieved? We were fortunate to have a brief tour and overview from someone who has been living there for some years now. She paid tribute to the vision and enormous commitment of the pioneers. It was interesting to note that while designed for environmental sustainability it was the social connections which have been a powerful unintended consequence, to the point where they've been asked by Adelaide Council to assist a new housing project just up the road, on ways to get people working together.’

WestWyck orchard bears fruit

2011-03-23T13:11:00.006+11:00

The WestWyck orchard has done its very first bit of producing. Although the quantity was not prolific the enthusiasm for the event was high. The one Golden Delicious and two Granny Smiths were out-performed by the Fujis.

Here are a couple of shots of the mid-March apple harvest and don't get the impression that there was more drinking than harvesting!

WestWyck features in Sunday Age

2011-03-14T09:22:00.003+11:00

The Sunday Age Domain's Kate Robertson investigates the effectiveness and
potential of owners corporations using Lorna Pitt and WestWyck as a case
study.

"Many owners regard meetings as a tedious requirement of apartment
living, but to others they're an opportunity to create a sense of
community with their neighbours, as Kate Robertson discovers..."

See the article on the Sunday Age website.

WestWyck farewells Construction Queen

2011-03-08T20:37:00.003+11:00

After several years of collaboration WestWyck is sad to be parting company with project managers Construction Queen. Paula and Catherine Gibson Roy are leaving Melbourne for warmer climes and are putting project management behind them at least temporarily in their pursuit of green objectives.

Construction Queen oversaw the building of the five townhouses and the design phase of Stage Two and have helped WestWyck select the project management team for the run down to the finish line. WestWyck remains indebted to Paula and Cate for their commitment to sustainability and their hard-headed project management.

Electric vehicle visits WestWyck

2011-03-08T20:29:00.004+11:00

David Ferrari and Prem Panickar from Sustainability Victoria visited WestWyck to meet with Mike Hill and Chandra Sundareswaran from MEFL to talk about research projects involving the WestWyck smart meters.
However, Chandra and Mike were distracted by their means of locomotion. David and Prem arrived in a Mitsubishi experimental fully electric vehicle which SV is trialling as part of the an electric vehicle trial They showed Mike and Prem the workings of the vehicle and provided a photo opportunity.

Apartment for sale at Christie Walk

2011-02-26T20:07:00.008+11:00

It's 2 bedrooms, is on the 2nd floor of the front apartment block on
Sturt St (Adelaide), but facing south onto the courtyard and gardens. Christie
Walk has many wonderful features including a roof garden, a large
community room with kitchen, and much more.
You can see a 10 minute snippet of life at Christie Walk on the Change Media website.

(This is an introduction to our new 35 min DVD which will be
available next week.)

If you would like more information about what it's like living here
please contact Urban Ecology and for purchase price etc
contact Mick Phillips from LJ Hookers at Modbury .

Resi agents go for green with new website for clients

2010-12-28T20:45:00.004+11:00

Article from The Fifth Estate online sustainable property journal, 16 December 2010:

"A lobby group of real estate agents established to promote sustainable residential property has launched a new website aimed at educating and linking people – including agents and buyers – on the benefits of sustainable housing.

Sustainable Housing and Australian Real Estate was established earlier this year, after founder and real estate agent, Lisa Roberts, felt disillusioned by the lack of awareness about sustainable residential property among real estate agents and buyers across Australia.

Roberts, who promoted WestWyck in Melbourne – a residential eco-development incorporating sustainable development and aesthetically appealing design – said that after working on WestWyck, she was surprised at the lack of sustainable housing in Sydney..."

Read the full article.

Engineers Without Borders visit

2010-12-12T22:15:00.002+11:00

For the last couple of years the Engineers Without Borders group has visited WestWyck as part of its annual conference. This year the group visited and Minh Cao Le, the Deputy Country Director of Habitat for Humanity Vietnam, took this photo and expressed interest in the way in which ‘sharing’ worked in an eco-village. In fact, a feature of the visit was the strong focus of the group on how village principles from a developing country could be applied as part of addressing the alienation of first world suburban lifestyles.

Shaare

2010-12-05T21:36:00.004+11:00

An industry moves along: a group of real estate practitioners from right around Australia is highlighting and promoting the value of sustainable housing and showcasing good examples. One of the developments featured is WestWyck and WestWyck is proud to have personal contact with Lisa Roberts, one of the key movers behind this initiative.

Shaare website

Former WestWyckians go sustainable in Seymour

2010-10-31T18:50:00.002+11:00

Kunie and Richard lived at WestWyck before moving back out to Common Ground and starting their family. Their blog tells the story of their admirable efforts to set up their own sustainable home in Seymour.

Sanctuary returns to WestWyck

2010-10-31T18:42:00.002+11:00

ATA’s Sanctuary Magazine was one of the first media discoveries of WestWyck and their original feature article helped launch WestWyck as an eco-village project of significance.

More than three years later Sanctuary revisited WestWyck to see what had happened and the article makes interesting reading as Mike Hill and Lorna Pitt are fairly frank about what has worked and what hasn’t and what they have learned as they move into the second stage of the high-profile project.

View the Sanctuary article.

WestWyck featured in "Fifth Estate" Sustainable Property News

2010-09-30T21:50:00.003+10:00

WestWyck was featured recently in the online sustainable property magazine Fifth Estate.

A brief excerpt:

A living example of the uplift in value possible with sustainable urban housing is the WestWyck eco-development, an urban sustainability project developed by Lorna Pitt and Mike Hill, which Roberts had been targeting to green minded and dollar-minded residents alike.

Read the full article online.

WestWyck officially opened

2010-09-25T22:30:00.005+10:00

Gavin Jennings, Minister for Climate Change and Innovation officially declared Stage One of WestWyck opened on 25th August 2010 in apartment #4 WestWyck.

It might have appeared a bit late to open a village that has had people living in it for some time now but developer Mike Hill said in his presentation to the celebratory gathering that the time to declare a project open was when the back of the last builder could be seen departing down the road!

Councillor Alice Pryor, representing the Mayor of Moreland City Council said that Moreland was proud to have a development of such quality and that Council encouraged other developers to learn from the WestWyck example. Councillor Pryor paid tribute to developers Mike Hill & Lorna Pitt and was able to recall extremely youthful memories of their civic involvement in the area.

Minister Jennings acknowledged the innovation and commitment behind this project and hoped that it really would provide insight into the way our cities might evolve with great collaboration and an enhanced sense of community in the midst of quality medium density villages. The Minister also acknowledged Mike and Lorna’s history of community activism and involvement, particularly on the environment front and their strong belief in community values.

The notes of Mike’s speech in response are posted here, but in summary he said that the WestWyck project has brought an inner-urban heritage-listed building, the former Brunswick West Primary School, to new and vibrant life as an urban residential demonstration showpiece of advanced ecologically sustainable development and good design. WestWyck is now acknowledged nationally and internationally as a well-integrated comprehensive development that addresses sustainable building and living and the launch was a milestone in this recognition.

The completed Stage One of the development comprises a housing cluster of five new town houses on the school grounds and seven warehouse-style apartments skillfully designed into the Victorian era school building, creating twelve low environmental impact dwellings.

WestWyck’s key sustainability features include sustainable energy, sustainable materials use and advanced water efficiency.

WestWyck is recognised for providing a model of a very different medium density development; it aims to connect people together in more of a traditional ‘village’ environment, sharing scarce land and resources. WestWyck features shared spaces and resources like gardens and bike sheds. The outdoor spaces are designed to provide a mix of privacy and interactivity. During its construction, WestWyck supported the local economy by giving priority to engaging local workers, professionals and tradespeople.

At the launch the Australian Institute of Architects delivered the 2010 Victorian Interior Architecture Award to Multiplicity Architects and Designers for their creation in apartment 4 at WestWyck. This honour, in the form of a plaque was bestowed by Fiona Windsor, a member of the AIA judging panel and Fiona spoke of the creativity and interpretation work of Tim O'Sullivan and Sioux Clark and the Multiplicity team. Fiona acknowledged the hot competition for this award and the quality of entrants.

Guests at the launch included many past and present residents of WestWyck, many of whom contributed to the catering and hospitality for the event. The very recently returned Member for Wills, Kelvin Thomson, Carlo Carli, Member for Brunswick and Jane Garrett, Mayor of Yarra attended. Amongst the other guests were Anita Roper, CEO, Sustainability Victoria, Carolyn Lloyd, Acting Chair VicUrban, Bill Forrest, CEO, ICLEI, Noel Blencowe, CERES, Judy Bush, NAGA Convenor, John Lawson, former Director, Urban Land Authority, Paul Murfitt, CEO Moreland Energy Foundation, Yvonne von Hartel, Peck von Hartel, Rob Brunton, Jenny Merkus Anne Gartner and Sue Vujcevic of Moreland City Council, tree and water guru, Professor Peter Fisher, Helen Millicer, PACIA and Kelly O'Shanassy, CEO Environment Victoria.

There were also so many people who have been involved in building and creating and running WestWyck including, Greg Tainsh of Jura Nominees, Bryan Forby, Community Living, Mark Hansen, plumber, Leanne O'Shea, landscape architect, Mel Ogden, landscape artist, Peter Fenaughty, arborist, cabinet maker Peter Tragardh-Daly of Cantilever and Brent Papadopoulos and Ruth Czermak of Sustainable Plumbing.
And a final very special mention was made of engineer extraordinaire, Trevor Huggard, who maintained his belief that the project was achievable and kept finding creative solutions that would make it happen.

WestWyck Resident Survey

2010-09-19T21:02:00.003+10:00

"Understanding How Behaviour Is Affected Within WestWyck Eco-Village"

In 2009 WestWyck was approached by French Sociologist researcher Victor Zylberberg from Sciences Po at Toulouse who was undertaking studies into eco-villages. Victor had found WestWyck on the web and asked whether we would be interested in facilitating his research.

WestWyck OC agreed to this request and WestWyck and the Moreland Energy Foundation (MEFL) managed to negotiate additional work experience for Victor at MEFL and he eventually spent three months this year in Brunswick which included in-depth one-on-one interviews with nearly all those living at WestWyck both in the new dwellings and the communal household.

Victor presented his report (in English) to a mixed audience of WestWyckians and MEFLites and the final report is available now to download. We think it provides some insight into WestWyck, sustainability, human behaviour on environmental issues and into Victor himself. We enjoyed having him with us!

Sustainable House Day at WestWyck

2010-09-14T21:55:00.009+10:00

(Update: we now have visitation figures from WestWyck and all other SHD properties. See below)

On 12th September WestWyck once again seized the chance of being a Sustainable House Day host.

In all 352 visitors went through WestWyck on the day and the experience was extremely positive all round. People found WestWyck ‘thought provoking’ or an ‘eye-opener’ or a ‘thriving example of sustainability’. WestWyck is part of the blend of models that makes SHD such a success.

While some people clearly attended with a view to finding out more about a particular issue or about available technologies, the general tenor of the tours seemed to be a genuine interest in the broader issues around how we develop cities and how we can live better within them. ‘Greenness’ of course is an essential part of the answer, but only one part. This may reflect the growth of SHD as a program which has moved from its very technical energy focus under the Solar House Day banner towards a focus on how to live sustainably.

The organisation from ATA was just great too with a well-targetted type and amount of material and some very knowledgeable and personable volunteers. WestWyck also provided a complement of hard-working tour guides and helpers.

WestWyck would also like to express appreciation to WestWyckians from the OC to individual members and in particular to those who ran tours and operated the desk. We're sure that direct contact with people who live here adds some lustre to the visiting experience.
We had some lovely feedback from SHD organiser Sophie Liu: "Thanks Mike, once again WestWyck had a great turnout with the most visitors this year. It’s great to think of the role you guys play in educating and sharing your knowledge in sustainability."
Sustainable House Day was a success all over Melbourne and beyond, with visits to SHD properties as follows:

Visitor Count SHD 2010
Altona North	226
Beaumaris	95
Brunswick West - WestWyck	381
Brunswick West	312
Caulfield South	241
Coburg North	323
East Bentleigh	150
Glen Waverley	40
Heidelberg	266
Knoxfield	229
Lower Plenty	238
Malvern	197
McKinnon	200
Mernda	50
Merrimu	83
Mitcham	95
Montmorency	154
Mooroolbark	66
Newport	202
Pakenham	27
Sandringham	259
Thornbury	364
Werribee	60
total	4258

WestWyckians Ian and Pam Cornthwaite on Climate Communities

2010-08-01T19:41:00.000+10:00

After 25 years in the Dandenongs, Ian and Pam Cornthwaite are enjoying their new life in an urban Melbourne eco-village.
Read their story on the Climate Communities website.

WestWyck on Trade Secrets

2009-10-29T14:06:00.000+11:00

The Dusseldorp Skills Forum (DSF) undertook a ‘Trade Secrets’ project as a means of highlighting the spread of 'green skills' through Australian workplaces.

The Trade Secrets project collected a number of stories aimed at defining 'green skills' and showing how everyone can approach their work and day to day tasks. These stories were filmed and put together as a YouTube feature.

WestWyck was one of the workplaces interviewed (see video below).

See all the Trade Secrets videos.

See the Trade Secrets website.

WestWyck Featured in "Green" Magazine

2009-01-13T20:58:00.000+11:00

Green magazine recently published a 5-page feature about WestWyck. We are pleased and proud to be recognised in this way. We are also grateful to Green for giving us permission to publish the feature here.
Green is also published in an online version.

Communal Garden & Orchard Takes Shape

2008-09-29T21:57:00.000+10:00

One sunny winter day in July the Owners' Corporation organised most of us out into the shared garden area to plant out the fruit trees on to the espalier lines.

The photo shows a hive of activity and we anticipate even more action when harvest time comes round.

The community planting included both the fig tree near the
barbecue decking (it is a 'Black Genoa' Fig) and the fruit tree planting in
the espaliered garden area.

The fruit trees planted included a 'three-way apple' and a single apple, a
double-planted pear, a 'three-way plum', a 'three-way apricot' and a
'three-way stone fruit'.'

New Bike Shed Attracts Attention

2008-09-28T20:50:00.000+10:00

The bike shed has been fabricated from lightweight material and translucent cladding. The finish is the trademark WestWyck rusted steel of course.

The see-through look is deliberate as it provides permanent interior views of the shed (even at night when the solar lights kick in) and adds a level of security for the bikes, but it also highlights the bikes, putting them on display and making the statement to visitors that bikes are important at WestWyck.

Photos show the interior, exterior and an action shot of Mike wheeling his bike out of the shed.

Anemometers to test the WestWyck wind

2008-09-28T20:29:00.000+10:00

Two anemometers have appeared on the WestWyck site in September. These temporary wind measurement structures have been installed as part of a Melbourne-wide study of wind harvesting potential and we were pleased to offer up WestWyck as a test site. There may be another nine sites around Melbourne that are part of the same project, providing data on wind harvest potential. In the long term, the aim of the project is to provide better data about the performance of micro-wind generation facilities and where they can be placed in order to obtain maximum performance. This is an important piece of renewable energy research for Victoria and follows work done on small wind turbines in Europe.

WestWyck has two anemometers in place and the Alternative Technology Association (ATA) has chosen these sites to measure different types of wind harvest. If the results are favourable then WestWyck is keen to look at the applicability of different types of turbines for WestWyck Stage Two, but that’s another story and a long way off.

The ATA is conducting the tests in conjunction with the State Government and they have selected sites across the city to enable them to make a detailed wind resource assessment. These sites were selected and approved through a process agreed to by the State Government. The trial is in line with and supported by the Victorian Government’s Wind Energy Guidelines (2003).

These photos show the two anemometers, one sitting on the peak of the southern face of the former school building and the other located on the former playgrounds.

Balconies complete WestWyck townhouses

2008-09-28T20:16:00.000+10:00

The final touch to complete the WestWyck townhouses was the long overdue fitting of the balconies. These had been held up through a supplier problem.

The photos show Joe applying the finishing touches and the long-awaited finished product.

WestWyck part of green buildings visitation program

2008-09-28T20:09:00.000+10:00

The Moreland Energy Foundation Limited (MEFL) was engaged by Szencorp and Sustainability Victoria to undertake an assessment of the potential to develop and offer a program of organised tours of Victoria’s green buildings.

One of the findings of the study was the need for a central online information source and contact point for Victoria’s sustainable buildings that would also provide information on each building as well as the capacity to book tours of these facilities.

This website has now been developed through a partnership between: Moreland Energy Foundation Limited, City of Melbourne, Szencorp, Building Commission and the Victorian Government Architect.

The website, which features WestWyck, can be found here

WestWyck hosts SB08 Visitors

2008-09-24T22:40:00.000+10:00

Sustainable Buildings 08 is an international conference that has found its way to Melbourne, a real coup for the city and for Sustainability Victoria and its predecessors which have been arguing for a long time that Melbourne boasts some of Australia's most impressive sustainable commercial and residential buildings and that the city should be highlighting these.

SB08 attracted around 1500 attendees, 20 auspicing societies, $550k in sponsorship and a number of VIP speakers. Victorian Environment (& Climate Change) Minister Gavin Jennings officially opened SB08 with Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett on Monday 22nd September.

As part of the conference, a Melbourne Sustainable Building Tours model has been developed in preparation for SB08 and will continue after the event.
WestWyck was selected as one of the Melbourne sites.

The photo shows conference attendees visiting WestWyck on Sunday 21st September.