Masterton home eco-aware – Local News – Wairarapa Times-Age.
In 2007, Steven, an industrial design engineer, began work on the eco-friendly house he would take three years to build with his own hands.
He even built the kitchen and every piece of furniture from the shelving to the beds, and fitted solar panels, which store 2000 watts of energy.
“When building our house, there were moments in the process when we had choices, like when we were deciding on our insulation. We decided to go with recycled insulation because it’s better for the environment, and it’s a nice material to work with – you’re not working with things like fibreglass.
“We also positioned the house to the north, so the sun shines through the big windows and warms up the place.”
He said building an eco-friendly house is “not rocket science”, it is just about thinking more carefully about your choices and how they affect your wallet as well as the environment.
“These ideas have been around for ages, it’s just being aware of them when you’re building a house, or doing anything else in life, like driving. If you drive 90km/h instead of 100km/h, you can save about 15 per cent of fuel, and you also have the opportunity to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery instead of rushing.”