Nelson Eco Living

Michael North and Keryn Squires approached Prometheus in late 2007 for finance to complete the final extensions to their eco-house. They had initially received a loan from us in 2004 for the main part of the house that they started building at that time on their 1.7 ha property in Todd Valley, Nelson.

The house has a range of eco-features although Michael notes that some compromises have been necessary given the lay of the land and the preferred house site. In particular there were some design challenges building on a North-West facing slope and with a need to build some of the house over infill and supported off the ground on poles.

"The house is a pole house, with the majority of it in-filled with adobe bricks, the remainder with standard framing where the ground could not support the brick weight (ie on infill and where suspended out from the hill). We used adobe brick tiles inside the main french doors as a heat sink but the rest of the house is larch timber flooring apart from concrete in the laundry and bathroom. We have a wetback running off the wood stove that is also an oven, and solar water heating is being installed on the roof."


He notes that a refusal to cut down a large Totara that blocks much of the morning sun has restricted their solar gain. However, he adds that the new extension faces north and will capture heat that they hope will diffuse through the rest of the house. Despite the compromises they already find that the house is comfortably warm in winter as the bricks store sufficient solar and wood stove heat.

Their other goals with the property are well-advanced. They have done considerable weed eradication and native planting of the significant remnant of podocarp-broadleaved native forest on the property. They have covenanted the one hectare bush gully with QEII Trust and it is due to be surveyed shortly prior to registration on the title.

We were pleased to be able to support the final stages of Michael and Keryn's home and wish them well in the ongoing development of their permaculture designed orchard and gardens.