HAVE you ever wondered where to start when looking at building a sustainable house?
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Exeter’s Rosie and Arthur Lathouris will happily share their knowledge when they open their house to public for Sustainable House Day on September 11.
The couple completed their Strawbale home in 2014.
The house is solar passive and being a Strawbale house, it is well insulated.
Rosie said when they moved to the Highlands they wanted to work with nature and have a low ecological footprint.
“It was just natural that we went with this material and style. The house is long and narrow to get the northern exposure,” she said.
The couple previously had a mud brick house at Wentworth Falls which they also opened up for Sustainable House Day.
Rosie said she hoped people visiting their house would learn more about the idea of passive solar energy and how to work with nature.
“And any other idea they might get from us. It might be about paint or windows or house design. Just offering people ideas they might be happy to use in their build or renovation.”
While many people can be daunted by the thought of building a sustainable home, Arthur said it was quite easy and also cost effective.
“It’s possible to build an energy efficient home for a similar price to a non-energy efficient house,” he said.
The couple also has a fruit and vegetable garden where they grow their own produce all year round.
Sustainable House Day has run for over 10 years and in 2015 more than 16,000 people visited 150 homes across the country.
Visit http://sustainablehouseday.com/about-shd/ for more information.