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Deco Design Principles

Construction criteria

  • Practical: Buildable and livable

  • Small footprint: Smallest possible land size

  • Maximal shared common property

  • Duplex homes

  • Low risk: Safe and reliable supply chain

  • Control over contracts

  • Low cost: Lowest reasonable costs

  • Value for money

  • Ability to meet budget

  • Durable and reliable: Low maintenance and long maintenance cycles​​

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Liveability criteria

Energy efficient:

  • North-facing passive solar design

  • Double glazing throughout

  • Thermally efficient uPVC window/door frames

  • Well insulated

  • Fully electric (induction stovetops, hot water heat pumps)

  • Walkable or cyclable to town and amenities

Healthy:

  • Non-toxic building materials

  • Breathable walls

Accessible​:

  • Large doorways for aging in place

Aesthetics:

  • ​Beautiful design

  • Light, airy and spacious

  • Connection to nature and place

  • Separate storage and parking areas

Environment:

  • Small environmental footprint

  • Natural setting and productive gardens

  • Stream restoration

Hempcrete

Our homes are built using high-quality, sustainable design and  construction methods. A key feature of our homes is that they are built with hempcrete, a natural and innovative biocomposite material with extremely low embodied energy and high carbon capture. Hempcrete is a composite of hemp 'shiv' (the inner woody core of the hemp stalk) and lime, forming a lightweight building material (about one-seventh the weight of concrete) with no chemicals or VOCs. Hempcrete walls are breathable, regulate humidity, are resistant to fire, pests and mould and have outstanding thermal and acoustic insulation properties. DecoHousing was the first housing project in WA to use hempcrete and is the largest hempcrete project in the southern hemisphere.  

This short film by Michael Hemmings features Deco cofounder and director Paul Llewellyn talking about the hempcrete process, Deco design principles and how the common house brings people together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivJQYkNs8Tw​

And here is Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud on the benefits of hempcrete from the Bringing it Home  documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R7JJHKnUFo​

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