Ecocentre Vision

To transform the house and garden on the corner of the St Kilda Botanical Gardens into a model sustainable building that will provide education and inspiration to the wider community, acting as a seed for further change. In addition to the redesigning and refitting project, audiovisual displays and other educational programs will be developed to assist the general public in putting sustainable living ideas into practice.

Energy

To promote renewable, abundant and non-polluting energy technologies through the installation of: solar panels that are connected to the grid a solar hot water system To provide practical examples of ways that householders and businesses can improve the energy efficiency of their buildings through the use of insulation ventilation design - the use of shading and the northern aspect of the building natural light - via window placement as well as the installation of solatubes and skylights passive sources of heating and cooling energy efficient appliances.

Water

To promote water conservation and recycling by installing: a water tank, water conserving appliances, water recycling systems, composting toilets.

Materials

To promote the use of non-toxic, abundant, renewable and recycled materials through:
the use of "forest friendly timber" - recycled or plantation timber, the use of materials that are known to be healthy (non-toxic)... suppliers>

Garden

To create a model permaculture garden - a small ecosystem that will produce food as well as providing a haven for people and indigenous fauna through the incorporation of: a food producing area,
a small highly productive balcony that will provide a model for flat dwellers, an indigenous section space for social events, children's play and quiet reflection... living>

Change

To use the house as an educational and inspirational tool that can act as a seed for further change by: hosting workshops on different aspects of environmentally sustainable living, involving the local community and experts in the field, clearly documenting the financial, social and economic impacts of the project, identifying ways in which low-income households may gain access to this technology, developing audiovisual and guided tours of the house that enable people to gain an understanding of the principles and practicalities involved in sustainable building and living.