SLA is launching its popular, free, ‘I Can Do It’ workshops with a visit to three houses.
Registration is essential. Please contact Val Sherwell on six seven 72 0342 or email: icandoit@slarmidale.org
People in small groups will spend an hour in each house. There will be an opportunity to wander and look and learn about what has been done and discuss what could be done to make the house more energy efficient.
Each house will have a different focus, although all will include aspects of passive solar design, choice of appliances, construction materials, size, embedded energy and how to prevent heat from escaping in winter or entering in summer. It’s fun to come with a friend to share reactions and ideas.
One of the houses is new. The owners only moved in September. Many interesting new materials have been used to create a large, very comfortable house. Another is only a few years old but had some serious design flaws that the owner has tried to rectify with creative responses. The third is an old cottage that was carefully renovated about 15 years ago to increase thermal mass, bring in northern sunlight, and insulate the walls and ceiling.
Last year, SLA held a similar house tour using different houses. Because participants were very enthusiastic, we decided it should launch our new season. People went home with lots of ideas about how to save energy in their own homes.
There will be hands-on workshops later in the year: n May a series of three curtain making workshops, in June two on how to make soft pelmets to prevent air from circulating behind curtains. In mid winter, there will be a series of three workshops on basic skills for home improvement. Read more about these in the coming weeks.
SLA is grateful to NSW Environmental Trust for financial support to run these workshops for two years.
