Living in the age of environmental enlightenment

As we move towards a more conscious, environmentally enlightened way of life, embracing sustainable living principles may just be the key to better wellbeing and personal enrichment.

It’s thanks to the likes of design-led developers such as HIP V. HYPE and the Swiss kitchen and laundry appliances boutique manufacturer, V-ZUG, that we’re seeing how sustainability, as a function and feature, can enhance our daily lives. Whether designing a home, or the modern conveniences within that home, these forward-thinking innovators have created design-led, environmentally conscious living solutions that deliver sophisticated functionality, enhanced aesthetics and improved personal wellbeing.

A perfect partnering of mind and mission, HIP V. HYPE’s Ruskin Elwood development in Melbourne, featuring V-ZUG’s energy-efficient kitchen appliances, sets a high bar for modern sustainable living.

Located upon a site that originally accommodated two energy inefficient terrace houses, HIP V. HYPE with architects Fieldwork have created four homes that are premium in amenity while also being low-impact and 100 per cent electric. Here, solar battery technology has been employed, via rooftop solar panels that link to a Tesla Powerwall, so solar power generated by day is consumed by residents at night.

With an emphasis on wellbeing, comfort and high performance, the design of the homes “provides residents with consistent internal temperatures to enhance healthy living, and strong passive design principles to reduce energy required to [cool and heat] the homes,” says Liam Wallis, founder and director of HIP V. HYPE.

Fieldwork with HIP V. HYPE has also taken a considered approach to materiality, selecting locally sourced bricks (from the clay pits of the Grampians in Victoria), to Australian hardwood timber cladding, and Australian manufactured fixtures.

When it came to fitting out those all-important living zones, like the kitchen, HIP V. HYPE engaged long-time collaborator V-ZUG. “V-ZUG was a natural fit for Ruskin Elwood,” says Liam. “The kitchens feature a full suite of V-ZUG appliances, which are durable, high performance appliances that enhance the craft and experience of cooking and entertaining. [They also] run on green power generated from solar panels.”

With an emphasis on quality, precision and reliability, V-ZUG’s appliances deliver both enjoyment and empowerment to the user. As Ruskin Elwood resident, Gabe, notes: “The understated yet high quality modern look and feel of the V-ZUG appliances really fit in beautifully at Ruskin Street.”

Along with V-ZUG’s environmentally sustainable approach, Gabe has been most impressed by the quality and easy of cooking. “The V-ZUG induction stove top cooks so evenly and naturally that I have more accuracy with cooking temperatures and have lifted my kitchen ‘game’ significantly. I have never cooked so much, nor so well … so I’m told.”

Sustainability is embedded into V-ZUG’s appliances in numerous ways. It begins with efficiency: for example, the steam in the Combi-Steam Oven is created in approximately 90 seconds using minimal amounts of water and energy. Meanwhile the oven’s Climate Control System uses sensors and valves to maintain optimal humidity, and cleverly seals this in – reducing water and energy use. From a food waste standpoint, V-ZUG has developed a fully automated Regeneration program to reheat pre-prepared food and leftover dishes perfectly.

It is also famous for its first-to-market heat pump technology in dishwashers and washing machines, which use a heat pump to generate water temperature while simultaneously cutting down on 80 per cent of energy use in the process.

From rooftop to kitchen bench, Ruskin Elwood reduces the impact of built form on the environment while also responsibly densifying Melbourne’s inner suburbs. And, through considered partnerships with world-leading brands such as V-ZUG, quality of life remains very much ‘the value’, rather than the compromise.

Photography courtesy of HIP V. HYPE