Off Grid Eco Living

Timber eco home on an island, Whangarei Heads

Living on an island presents unique challenges, not the least of which is living ‘off the grid’, with no power, water or wastewater connections on site. But with clever design and smart systems, a functional and beautiful eco home was created for our clients on their island near Whangarei Heads.

The brief was for a functional home with a small footprint, that fitted into its natural surroundings and was completely off the grid. Modern Earth Homes delivered a solution that maximised passive solar benefits, incorporating extensive joinery for cross-ventilation in the summer, and a heat soak corridor for thermal mass and solar gain in the winter months. This ensures a warm, cosy home in the winter, and an airy, cool home during the Summer.

Timber framing and cladding were used, with locally sourced timber where possible. A wormerator septic system takes care of sewage and wastewater, while solar panels with battery bank supply the power, allowing the owners to live as comfortably off the grid as they would on it.

“Ingenuity and fine workmanship – an outstanding result”

“Modern Earth Homes constructed our off grid eco home under challenging circumstances in a remote location without vehicle access. Their team stepped up to the challenge showing ingenuity and fine workmanship to produce an outstanding result.

We highly recommend Modern Earth Homes. We found them friendly, trustworthy and easy to work with. We love our new home and after four years of living here we can’t fault any aspect of the build.” – Rod and Lou