Australian building products business Bondor yesterday opened a prototype home constructed with insulated panels which is rated at 8 Stars for energy efficient.

InsulLiving Home in Burpengary, Brisbane, utilises InsulWall and SolarSpan insulated products to create a system it calls ‘quicker, leaner, smarter and greener’.

Bondor has been developing the InsulWall solution for the past five years with Bluescope Steel and Dulux Acratex.

The homes’ building time is estimated to be 34 percent faster than traditional “brick and stick” construction. The ‘lock-up’ stage is estimated to be achieved within 10 days from the slab being ready for the average home.

The company will now work with the Queensland University of Technology to study the performance of the house with occupants.

Bondor general manager Geoff Marsdon said the InsulLiving approach had significant potential for the Australian residential building sector.

“The prototype home will demonstrate how uncomplicated it can be to build an aesthetically pleasing home that meets and exceeds thermal performance requirements, using technology that enables people to save on future energy bills,” Marsdon said.

Benefits also include a reduction in building materials, meaning fewer transport journeys and a reduced carbon footprint during construction.

“The InsulLiving home can be tailored to fit with the life journey of community members, starting simply when finances are tight and growing with the family through the easy addition of new modules,” he said.

Marsdon said that the modular nature of the product also allowed for deconstruction and recycling of the walls and roof.

“The InsulLiving home is a beautiful home, costing far less to build, in much less time and with ongoing savings to the home owner and residents. Put simply - it is quicker, leaner, smarter, greener. Everybody wins,” he said.

This year, Bondor was awarded a $50,000 Queensland Government Proof of Concept Fund for the project.

Marsdon said Bondor would continue its commitment to research and development through an in-house team of engineers and technical support staff as well as close relationships with research establishments.

The opening of the house today is to be hosted by the leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Eric Abetz and Bondor general manager Geoff Marsdon.