Piney Lakes Showcases PEAC Students’ Sustainable Homes

Piney Lakes Environmental Education Officer Ben Kelly said the Solar Architect program had provided gifted year five, six and seven students with the opportunity to learn about sustainable housing design principles and to use those ideas to build scale model homes. “Students spent the first two sessions researching the principles of solar passive design, followed by a tour of the sustainable features of the City’s Piney Lakes Environmental Education Centre,” he said. “The following eight sessions were dedicated towards building their scale models.”

 “It was fantastic to see young students discovering the key principles of sustainable home design. Australians consume enormous amounts of energy every day and getting the initial home design right in the first place can ensure a more comfortable and energy-efficient lifestyle. I hope the ideas behind the Solar Architect program will remain with the participating students well into the future, to ensure a brighter future for generations to come."

 PEAC teacher Blake Ingersole said PEAC programs were offered to selected primary school age children, providing a variety of extension activities and topics. "The students have spent eight sessions building their own scale models, incorporating housing design principles and sustainable features,” he said. “It was great to see the students research and implement ideas and strategies for a sustainable future as it’s an important current issue for us all.”

Student feedback indicated they enjoyed thinking of creative ways to build their sustainable model homes - which all featured different designs, despite having applied the same principles.

For more information on the Solar Architect Program or on upcoming activities at Piney Lakes Environmental Education Centre, phone Mr Kelly on (08) 9364 0790, email benjamin.kelly@melville.wa.gov.au or visit www.melvillecity.com.au/pineylakes.