Living sustainably: East Village at Knutsford launches

Fremantle’s most sustainable new development and the home of Curtin University’s Legacy Living Lab, East Village at Knutsford, was officially launched on Tuesday morning.

The launch of the sustainable housing demonstration project featured Treasurer and Lands Minister Ben Wyatt (pictured below), alongside Energy Minister Bill Johnston and leaders from state-owned developer LandCorp and energy trading platform Power Ledger.

Formerly an industrial site, the 1.5-hectare East Village at Knutsford project located near the Royal Fremantle Golf Club, will lead the way in sustainable WA housing.

The Curtin University-funded modular living lab at Knutsford (artist’s impression pictured below) will employ innovative and sustainable technologies from various organisations to increase building efficiency and reduce material consumption and waste.

As a partner, Quantify will have their intelligent technology installed throughout the building to enable

building automation, data collection and energy monitoring. In addition, the Company will also sponsor a Curtin PhD student who will use the living lab and Quantify’s technology to explore how smart home automation systems can add value by reducing the energy used by the home.

Alongside the living lab, in partnership with Mirreco, Quantify will showcase their products in a display home made from carbon-storing hemp. This home has been designed to demonstrate the capabilities of alternative building materials.

Quantify’s products, Curtin’s living lab and Mirreco’s hemp house will fit into LandCorp’s Knutsford project seamlessly with their sustainable features.

East Village will otherwise have 36 residential homes and two apartment blocks, delivering a further 60 dwellings. Every home will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy using solar panels and a shared community battery.

In an Australian first, residents at Knutsford will be able to generate and share energy with their neighbours using Power Ledger’s innovative energy trading platform.

The development will also incorporate waterwise initiatives, with rainwater tanks plumbed into toilets, washing machines and hot-water systems, while on-site stormwater capture and recycling will irrigate gardens.

The Knutsford is looking to set an example for sustainable urban living in the future, having also included electric vehicle fast charging stations among its initiatives.

LandCorp commenced development of the precinct in 2018, with construction expected to be completed by August 2019.