Riverwood Cleveland Terrace, Nelson

Ecotect now operates from our home studio at 'Riverwood' - 163 Cleveland Terrace, Nelson East - choosing the eco-friendly option of working from home. Working towards an Urban Eco Home-Stay, clients and guests may inspect all manner of eco-home / lifestyle options such as extensive organic vege gardens, composting toilets, recycled greywater system, solar water heaters (for home and greenhouse), and of course a solar tempered home made largely from natural and recycled materials.

My current abode and another stage in my search for the New Zealand vernacular...
A modest sized family home built on a great little north facing site near
Nelson City and overlooking the beautiful Maitai Valley. 

View from south west. A fair attempt in 1997 to build a sustainable house on a steep site; all timber framing is untreated
Douglas Fir except poleand bearer foundations and exterior joists.

A ready finished maintenance free cladding was needed to avoid perching on a 6m high ladder. Onduline was the solution, a bitumen impregnated recycled cardboard corrugated sheet cladding . Macrocarpa facings around the doors and windows and zincalume roofing/accessories complete the scheme.

View from the North East, The steep narrow site demanded that there be no heavy mass in the building, its north aspect provides lots of solar gain which is retained quite well through all but the coldest evenings, due to high levels of Woolbloc insulation throughout.

Street View, all internal and external doors are hand made TG&V / ledge and brace doors in knotty macrocarpa.

Kiwibog composting toilet at back porch.

Rain barrels for garden and drinking water

Waterguard filter and UV steriliser for drinking rainwater

More rain barrels for garden

Eco-Plus recycled greywater tank (not yet plumbed)

Lounge Interior; recycled Oregan timber glazed doors to Dining room.

Lounge Interior; Solar gain through north glazing shown and Lawsons Cypress TG&V ceiling lining.
Just a 2kW heater is all thats required to heat the living room on winter evenings.

Dining Room with recycled Rimu timber overlay flooring and furniture. All wood trim is Macrocarpa with a Rimu coloured stain.

Kitchen with recycled Rimu flooring and cabinet door frames with Opalite glass. Bench tops and toe spaces are black 'Art Glass'.	Bathroom with recycled Rimu flooring and Toilet cistern made of recycled copper and Rimu. Wall panelling is Hardigroove to emulate T&G.

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