Miller's Corner

Guiding Principles

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In deciding how we might develop Miller's Corner there were a number of guiding principles that we followed.  The foundation principle is around three-foldness where the social, environment and economic arenas are all considered when decisions are made.  To this end, the design of Miller's Corner focused on creating an environment whereby all three are in balance - it is there that is harmony can be found.

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Social

In designing the layout of the infrastructure, the needs of the future residents was of primary consideration.  It was seen that the use of onsite car parking had the potential to be socially isolating and the casual meeting of other residents allowed much better opportunity for social interaction. To this end it was decided that the car parking would be located at the front of the property with vehicle access to the homes restricted.  

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The inclusion of Forest House as part of the development embraced the concept of sharing - sharing of meals, recreational time, workshops, equipment, laundry and accommodation for the occasional visitor.  

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Shared community gardens also provided the opportunity for closer connections.

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Environment

In planning the development, the individual lots were sited so as to retain the maximum amount of existing trees.  Our building guidelines made use of passive solar design and encourages the use of sustainable materials and solar electricity generation.

 

Economic 

The cost of building sustainable housing is somewhat higher than conventional housing (especially project home builds).  This initial additional cost is offset by incorporating small footprint designs and smaller energy efficient houses which will save substantial money in their ongoing running costs.

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Benefits of including sustainable housing features in new dwellings can assist householders to:

• save money on their energy and water bills over the life of the dwelling
• add potential value at re-sale
• promote energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• enjoy more comfortable and healthier living environments.