Mt Elephant Centre
Community Centre
Mt Elephant, Victoria
Mt Elephant Community Mnmt Inc
MKM Constructions
300m²
2016
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The Mount Elephant Centre is a completely self-sufficient building needing no external power or water supply. The site, a hundred year old quarry, manages waste water through a standard septic tank system. Rain water is harvested from the roof of the building and stored. Electricity is generated by a 4kW photovoltaic cell system situated adjacent to the building and stored on site with lithium-ion batteries.
Sustainability in design extends to the selection of materials and structural elements. Exterior walls are constructed from a rammed earth cement compound, with the earth being sourced locally from a quarry at neighbouring volcano Mt Shadwell. Timber for structural beams, wall frames and external cladding are sourced from sustainably grown (plantation) trees. Solar gain is collected in winter from the large north facing glazed walls. This reduces the need to heat the building conventionally with electric or gas heaters.
