EcoUrbane Building Sustainable Homes
Mark Tassell, is the Director at EcoUrbane Building Group based in Adelaide. Designers and builders of sustainable homes in the greater Adelaide region, they incorporate eco friendly and sustainable building materials such as Bondor walling and roof systems, plantation timber, low VOC paint and PCM’s-phase change materials used in insulation applications. Opening in 2015, EcoUrbane are helping to spread the word about the importance, and benefits, of building homes that tread more lightly on the earth.
Who are you? Tell us about the people behind the business
I am fairly new to the building game, having studied Certificate IV in Building and Construction to obtain my builders License in 2016. Prior to that I ran the Physical Education department at Seaton High School and was a teacher for 20 years.
How did you start the business and what inspired you?
When renovating our home we had a negative experience with a builder with the job going over time, over budget, and having some quality control issues. We discovered that the builder was not being truthful in his dealings with us and the trades he had engaged to complete the build. We terminated the contract and I project managed the build to completion. At about the same time I was feeling overburdened by the increasing levels of accountability, administration and bureaucracy that were infiltrating the teaching profession and saw project management as a potential future career. It is also an opportunity to utilize the excellent organizational and interpersonal skills every teacher has in abundance. Surprisingly, we believe there is a niche market for people who want a positive building experience.
What are your thoughts on sustainability and how is this part of your business and own home/life?
Building homes that look beautiful and are inexpensive to heat and cool due to smart, passive design is critical to ensure we all minimize our energy footprint on the planet. How do you apply this in working with clients/customers? By highlighting the obvious benefits and showing that the initial outlay is quickly recouped in lower energy bills and increased levels of comfort.
Do you have any tips for other people wanting to create a sustainable home?
Do your research. Read “Warm House, Cool House” by Nick Hollo. Seek out experts to advise you on orientation, cladding materials, insulation, cross ventilation, etc. When it comes to helping with your building needs, EcoUrbane offer a range of services. Whether you have an old home you want to restore back to its original splendour, add a contemporary extension to or even knock down and start again, you can chat with Mark and his team. If you’ve already engaged an architect/building designer, he will work with them in the preliminary stages to get your project up and running and see it through to completion. It can be overwhelming to start working out how to design your new home, especially taking all the sustainable aspects into consideration – EcoUrbane can guide you through the entire design and construct process.
This involves:
- helping with the development of concept plans
- submission of planning application
- provision of complete sets of working drawings
- final building consent
- construction of your project
Have you ever built a home from scratch or undertaken a major renovation? What was your experience? We would love to hear so please drop a comment! To find out more about EcoUrbane, their work and how you can partner with them in your next building project, head to their website and check them out
Helen