Old Housing Stock Key To Reducing Emissions
A report indicates the redevelopment of old housing is essential to carbon neutral plans.
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Nearly 8 million homes are past their use-by-date according to the Australia Affordable Housing Environmental Scan 2022 by PowerHousing Australia.
The report suggests that many of these outdated properties could be torn down to build multiple energy-efficient dwellings and address the housing crisis.
According to the report, one old standard house on an 800 to 1000sqm block could make way for up to three new homes. Most of the homes have existed for 30 years or more and contribute up to 18% of the country’s emissions.
While Australia looks to tackle rising emissions with advances in technology, PowerHousing Australia chief executive Nicholas Proud suggests the redevelopment of old housing could help tackle both emissions and affordability while technology comes up to speed.
“Australia’s 8 million pre-energy rated homes are now well past their use-by date, contributing up to 18 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and a real liability when it comes to hitting our Paris Agreement commitments for net-zero emissions.”
Mr Proud suggests that Australia will struggle to meet the UN net zero emissions target for 2050 without the repurposing of building materials
“The first step to meet our obligations to future generations is the repurposing and refurbishing older inefficient dwellings, as existing dwellings account for 95 per cent of our building stock and already have an embodied carbon component,” he said.
In 2003, a four-star Nathers energy rating became mandatory for all new homes. Prior to this, there was no obligation to make homes energy efficient and most homes built after the 1950s came in at one to two stars.
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Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is selling his Northern California estate, which was listed Monday for $24.5 million.
Located in Atherton, an extremely affluent town northwest of Palo Alto and about 30 miles south of San Francisco, the 3.36-acre property is made up of three parcels that Schmidt acquired over the years, according to public records and Compass, who has the listing.
Schmidt, 69, and his wife, businesswoman Wendy Schmidt, purchased the main home in 1990 for $2 million, according to public records accessed via PropertyShark. They remodelled the 1969 home in 2007, and at that time, bought a neighbouring parcel of land, allowing an expansion of the main house and the addition of a guest house, according to Compass, who holds the listing. A third parcel was later acquired, on which the Schmidts added an English garden house and landscaped grounds overlooking the Eastern Hills.
“Finding three contiguous parcels in Atherton is rare. Even rarer are those with views of the Eastern hills,” said listing agent Katharine Carroll of the reSolve Group at Compass. “The location of this residence is ultra private, at the back of a cul-de-sac with the main house built into a hillside that provides privacy and very good security.”
Across the estate, there are five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and six half bathrooms.
The 5,265-square-foot main house also offers a number of private outdoor spaces on its upper level, including a large terrace off the primary suite, another large terrace off a secondary bedroom, plus a third smaller terrace and two balconies.
Behind the main house is a patio with a pool and spa. For even more outdoor space, there’s an entertaining pavilion, an open lawn and an outdoor fireplace area near the guest quarters.
The grounds themselves are also a standout feature, with an array of mature plants and specimen trees. The upper portion of the property’s landscaping is designed around an Amdega-designed conservatory, which was imported from the U.K. Around the greenhouse, there is a garden of raised beds and fruit trees, Carroll said.
“From the moment you step onto the grounds, it feels as if you’ve been transported to a private botanical sanctuary,” she said.
Schmidt served as Google’s CEO from 2001 to 2011, and then became the company’s executive chairman until 2015. He could not be reached for comment.
This article first appeared on Mansion Global
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