New building designs for Homeswest in North-West

Homeswest will use new building designs and materials in the North-West following a series of forums to gauge community feelings about its housing. 

Housing Minister Jim McGinty said the community consultation had shown there was strong support for a change back to framed housing - which cools down more quickly in the hot climate than masonry block veneer homes. 

Mr McGinty said Homeswest had switched from framed homes in the 1970s following calls from tenants for masonry block veneer homes similar to those being built at the time by mining companies.

"Any other type of construction was perceived as inferior, but now we have come full circle," Mr McGinty said. 

"Beating the heat seems to be the main priority."

Homeswest would therefore build both framed housing and block veneer homes in the north of the State. 

Mr McGinty said that with the return to framed housing, Homeswest had used two architects living in the North-West to develop a number of new designs. 

"Homeswest has now gone to tender using the first of these designs for the construction of 10 homes at Tom Price, four at Derby and two at Newman," he said.

"Each design has an alternative frontage to lend variety to Homeswest's new rental homes." 

Mr McGinty said key features of the designs were: 

·         steel frames and metal roofing to let homes cool quickly in the evenings; 

·         enhanced cross-ventilation by limiting house width to a single room; 

·         all exterior walls shaded by verandahs; 

·         large, louvred windows which open fully to catch cool breezes; 

·         full roof and wall insulation. 

Mr McGinty said Homeswest was committed to listening to the views of its tenants and the decision to alter the designs for North-West housing was an excellent example of the benefits of consultation. 

"It makes sense that the best people to talk to about housing design in the North-West are those that live in the area and have first hand knowledge of what is required," Mr McGinty said.