Low carbon boards from UBIQ feature in the structure of the ArchiBlox, the
world’s first carbon-positive prefabricated house designed as part of Melbourne’s
Sustainable Living Festival 2015.
Designed by architect Bill McCorkell, the prefab house features UBIQ’s
unique low carbon INEX>BOARDS throughout the design including INEX>FLOOR for
the floors and INEX>WALLBOARD for internal walls and ceilings as well as the
facade.
UBIQ’s low carbon boards played an important role in ArchiBlox’s carbon-positive
story. UBIQ’s INEX>BOARDS are low carbon, attractive, flexible and
affordable for any building project.
The single storey building by ArchiBlox is prefabricated, but not in the
conventional way. The building is carbon-positive as it produces more energy
than it needs to operate.
Design highlights of the ArchiBlox building also include orientation to
the north to take full advantage of the sun; solar panels on the grass-covered
roof to capture energy; and floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the house
allowing in maximum light and heat during winter.
The carbon-positive prefab house does not need air-conditioning or
heating. Architect Bill McCorkell deliberately kept the size of the house small
to minimise the use of electricity.
Over its lifespan the building is calculated to emit 1,016 (tCO2e)
tonnes less greenhouse gases than a standard home of similar size and function.
This figure is equivalent to taking 267 cars off the road, or planting more
than 6,095 native trees.
