Been looking into buying a new house. In Darwin but the same applies for wa, nq, fnq as well... Why can't builders offer cookie cutter houses that are designed for the tropics? All the designs are sorta nearly there, but the ceilings are too low, the eves are too short, too much exposed concrete and not enough windows or airflow. Been looking at the costs involved and moving things around to turn the place into a house rather than an oven is not hard, nor expensive....any ideas what's going on here?
My wife and I have properties here and in SE Asia and cannot understand why house built in the tropics are the same designs as the temperate zones further south. Certainly the advent of air conditioning has had a big impact allowing poor design to be habitable at the cost of more energy used for cooling. Development costs and block size are also a factor - people want a block with all house and a handful of open space. I also suspect that frames and trusses are transported from the south like a kit home arrangement. You look at some of the old houses in and around Darwin and you can see the large verandahs, high ceilings, louvre windows for breezeways and shady trees....lovely. I owned a house at Exmouth in WA that allowed a breeze from front to rear right through the bedrooms....very practical design and strong enough for cyclones. Broome houses were famous for the prop open full size window frames - like a beach shack....close them up for storms. Our properties in SE Asia have wide eaves, verandahs, high ceilings and breezeways and some are high-set to catch any shade and breeze. Roof vents are also installed. Still need some air conditioning for a good nights sleep though.
There are builders who offer it but they tend to be the smaller ones. I agree - most of Australian architecture is not made for Australia. Try Tropix Homes Ironwood Projects - Builders in Darwin Welcome
I love watching European building/house shows and seeing how much they invest in making their houses energy efficient!
