Go the Green and Gold: 9 Energy-Smart Australian Homes
With their innovative eco features and diverse surroundings, these 9 award-winning homes have struck gold on the Aussie design stage
Susan Redman
30 March 2016
Houzz Australia Editorial Staff; writer, author, dreamer.
Style and energy efficiency may well be universal priorities for eco-sensitive design the world over. But the diversity of the landscape in Australia requires its residential designers to come up with especially innovative climate-sensitive systems and architectural solutions.
One of the most influential designers of site-appropriate, eco-friendly buildings worldwide has been Australian architect Glenn Murcutt. His designs for buildings that truly fit into the landscape have inspired others who also design structures that touch the earth lightly. Murcutt won the 2002 Pritzker Architecture Prize for his sensitivity to the environment, in what Pritzker Prize jury Chairman J. Carter Brown called his “totally honest, non-showy works of art.”
Ashley Dunn, of the award-winning firm Dunn and Hillam Architects, says of this approach to architecture: “Australia is a continent which presents examples of diverse climatic conditions, from sub-tropical to arid to alpine. In this respect, there is no singular solution which can be universally applied here. Site specificity is key in Australia, but should be at the forefront of design thinking all over the world.”
The award-winning Australian homes profiled here command vistas over bushland, provide comfort in the desert, hide out in tropical rainforests and overlook beaches. All are designed to reduce reliance on mechanical systems – for heating, cooling, waste disposal and more – while complementing the landscape with their architectural beauty.
Ashley Dunn, of the award-winning firm Dunn and Hillam Architects, says of this approach to architecture: “Australia is a continent which presents examples of diverse climatic conditions, from sub-tropical to arid to alpine. In this respect, there is no singular solution which can be universally applied here. Site specificity is key in Australia, but should be at the forefront of design thinking all over the world.”
The award-winning Australian homes profiled here command vistas over bushland, provide comfort in the desert, hide out in tropical rainforests and overlook beaches. All are designed to reduce reliance on mechanical systems – for heating, cooling, waste disposal and more – while complementing the landscape with their architectural beauty.
1. Local materials for a country hill house, Victoria
Project: Sawmill House
Architect: Designed by Chris Gilbert of Archier and built for, and with, his sculptor brother Ben Gilbert
Location: Yackandandah, Victoria
Size: 90 square metres internal, 150 square metres with the deck; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 National Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 Victorian Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 Houses Awards, New House under 200 square metres; Winner: 2015 Houses Awards, Emerging Architecture Practice; Commendation: 2015 Victorian Architecture Awards, Sustainability; Commendation: 2015 Houses Awards, Sustainability
Top three green points:
Project: Sawmill House
Architect: Designed by Chris Gilbert of Archier and built for, and with, his sculptor brother Ben Gilbert
Location: Yackandandah, Victoria
Size: 90 square metres internal, 150 square metres with the deck; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 National Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 Victorian Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 Houses Awards, New House under 200 square metres; Winner: 2015 Houses Awards, Emerging Architecture Practice; Commendation: 2015 Victorian Architecture Awards, Sustainability; Commendation: 2015 Houses Awards, Sustainability
Top three green points:
- material-waste utilisation in the form of concrete blocks
- layout design that encourages cross breezes and air flow
- native timbers from local forest incorporated
This house perches on the edge of a hill on the site of a former gold mine and old sawmill in northern Victoria. It was designed with a simple idea in mind: waste not, want not. The home’s most striking feature is a recycler’s dream: the exterior walls are made from 270 massive concrete blocks. These were obtained locally and were made from waste left over from the pouring of residential concrete slabs. The blocks, weighing one tonne each, were trucked to the Yackandandah site and stacked to form a structure that is nine metres long and 10 metres wide. Although cemented together, the blocks were more or less left in their rough state.
“Our main point of sustainability was gained through an innovative and alternative approach, based on using existing concrete by-product close to our site,” says architect Chris Gilbert. “Rather than rely on pre-existing ‘green products’, we looked at the environment around us and what could be utilised.”
“Our main point of sustainability was gained through an innovative and alternative approach, based on using existing concrete by-product close to our site,” says architect Chris Gilbert. “Rather than rely on pre-existing ‘green products’, we looked at the environment around us and what could be utilised.”
The house is long but relatively shallow, which allows it to take advantage of the breezes that travel up the valley. “This passively cools the home during the summer months with cross-flow ventilation,” says Gilbert, “and in the cooler months, the warmth of the sun [and its light] is maximised by rolling back a 14-metre section of openable roof over the deck, as well as adjusting the bi-folding screens that line it.” This allows the sun to passively heat the dwelling for most of the year.
Another local material used in the home was red stringybark timber, for flooring and for lining the ceilings. This came from a forest that can be seen from the house.
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Another local material used in the home was red stringybark timber, for flooring and for lining the ceilings. This came from a forest that can be seen from the house.
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2. Clever thermal regulation in a home cut into desert rock, Northern Territory
Project: Desert House
Architect: Dunn and Hillam Architects
Location: Alice Springs, NT
Size: 350 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 NT Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Shortlisted: 2014 BPN (Building Products News) Sustainability Awards; Commendation: 2014 Houses Awards, New House over 200 square metres; Commendation: 2014 NT Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2014 NT Architecture Awards, Sustainable Architecture
Top three green points:
Project: Desert House
Architect: Dunn and Hillam Architects
Location: Alice Springs, NT
Size: 350 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 NT Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Shortlisted: 2014 BPN (Building Products News) Sustainability Awards; Commendation: 2014 Houses Awards, New House over 200 square metres; Commendation: 2014 NT Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2014 NT Architecture Awards, Sustainable Architecture
Top three green points:
- self-sufficiency in electricity
- solar panels and solar water
- heavily insulated surfaces, as well as shade creation via a fly-roof and design of volumes
The aptly named Desert House is in Alice Springs, a town in the centre of one of the harshest and most demanding natural environments on Earth – the Australian desert. The ancient red-hued MacDonnell Ranges stretch out to the east and west of Alice Springs, and Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is southwest. Temperatures soar to over 45°C in summer, and plummet to minus 6°C in winter.
“Cut into the rock, the house hunkers down into the landscape, capturing the thermal mass of the earth and using it to regulate the internal temperature of the building,” says architect Dunn.
“Cut into the rock, the house hunkers down into the landscape, capturing the thermal mass of the earth and using it to regulate the internal temperature of the building,” says architect Dunn.
At the centre of the home is an enclosed courtyard garden and pool. These make up a protected area where the residents can enjoy the desert climate. Although the pool is a luxury, it does incorporate some energy-efficient features: it requires no energy for maintenance and cleaning – the pumps are powered by photovoltaic solar panels on the roof; the pool enclosure delivers a cooling microclimate for the inhabitants; and finally, it acts as a heat sink – any superfluous hot water, generated via the solar hot water tanks, is discharged into the pool to top up levels and cool overnight.
“To protect the home further from the extreme temperature fluctuations, a large angled fly-roof sits over the heavily insulated box-like forms of the house, shading it,” Dunn says. “Roof windows allow any hot air to be expelled at night.” Dunn says that after a year of occupation, records show the house is self-sufficient for electricity, taking net zero electricity from the grid.
This was a boon to the homeowners, who, according to Dunn, were surprised by how successfully the house could perform using primarily passive environmental strategies. “The building is able to achieve a 15°C temperature differential from outside to inside through the use of layering, good orientation, thermal mass and ventilation,” says Dunn.
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This was a boon to the homeowners, who, according to Dunn, were surprised by how successfully the house could perform using primarily passive environmental strategies. “The building is able to achieve a 15°C temperature differential from outside to inside through the use of layering, good orientation, thermal mass and ventilation,” says Dunn.
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3. Creeping lightly in ancient tropical rainforest, Queensland
Project: Cape Tribulation House
Architect: Ben Vielle of m3architecture
Location: Cape Tribulation, Queensland
Size: 308 square metres (12,000 square metres of land); 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Australian awards: Commendation: 2015 Houses Awards – Sustainability
Top three green points:
Project: Cape Tribulation House
Architect: Ben Vielle of m3architecture
Location: Cape Tribulation, Queensland
Size: 308 square metres (12,000 square metres of land); 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Australian awards: Commendation: 2015 Houses Awards – Sustainability
Top three green points:
- low impact on tropical rainforest
- off-grid applications for power, water supply and waste treatment
- natural ventilation
This off-the-grid home is close to the beach of Cape Tribulation in Far North Queensland. As the house (and the small Cape Tribulation settlement it’s part of) is surrounded by one of Australia’s most sensitive and ancient ecosystems, the Daintree Rainforest, it required wide-ranging considerations and sustainable design choices during its planning.
A sustainability consultant was engaged throughout the design process, to provide advice on material selections and infrastructure systems for off-grid applications including power generation, water supply and water treatment. “A photovoltaic array and battery bank supply energy to the house,” says Ben Vielle, the architect leading the design team for m3architecture. “All appliances and fixtures have been selected to make efficient use of this energy. The house is also naturally ventilated, assisted by ceiling fans and large louvered windows, and all appliances and fixtures are energy efficient.”
A sustainability consultant was engaged throughout the design process, to provide advice on material selections and infrastructure systems for off-grid applications including power generation, water supply and water treatment. “A photovoltaic array and battery bank supply energy to the house,” says Ben Vielle, the architect leading the design team for m3architecture. “All appliances and fixtures have been selected to make efficient use of this energy. The house is also naturally ventilated, assisted by ceiling fans and large louvered windows, and all appliances and fixtures are energy efficient.”
Vielle’s eco design principles also inform the look of the home. The exterior is camouflaged with black plastic cladding and mirrored glass, allowing the structure to recede into the shadows of the rainforest canopy. Inside, the living areas are clad with light-coloured plywood. The rooms open out to the tropical surrounds, with views of the rainforest canopy through tall south-facing windows. “Relaxed pavilions accommodate multiple sleeping arrangements,” says Vielle, “with living spaces that serve as a makeshift campsite, and couple rooms that transform into bunk rooms.”
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4. Recycled materials and water-saving tricks in inner-city Perth, Western Australia
Project: Fremantle House
Architects: Patrick Kosky in collaboration with Yun Nie Chong of NIE + CO
Location: Fremantle, WA
Size: 210 square metre floor area including garage (250 square metre site); 2 bedrooms, 1 guest/study, 2 bathrooms
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 WA Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Top three green points:
Project: Fremantle House
Architects: Patrick Kosky in collaboration with Yun Nie Chong of NIE + CO
Location: Fremantle, WA
Size: 210 square metre floor area including garage (250 square metre site); 2 bedrooms, 1 guest/study, 2 bathrooms
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 WA Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Top three green points:
- passive solar design
- natural cross ventilation and light
- water-saving fixtures
In this newly built private residence erected on a tight inner-city infill site in Fremantle, a port city south of Perth, environmental considerations were fundamental to the design. Sustainability was addressed in two ways, according to Patrick Kosky, one-half of the architectural couple who designed and now live in the house. “The first way was to minimise the material energy in the build,” writes Kosky about the project. “We did this by using a substantial amount of recycled material (bricks) and plantation-sourced timber (timber framing, plywood lining).”
Second, Kosky and his partner Yun Nie Chong sought to reduce energy and water use. “In this regard, the house adopts passive solar principles and maximises natural cross ventilation and penetration of natural light,” says Kosky. “It also utilises water-saving fixtures and incorporates 10,000 litres of underground rainwater storage, solar photovoltaic panels, solar hot water panels, as well as LED lighting throughout.”
Second, Kosky and his partner Yun Nie Chong sought to reduce energy and water use. “In this regard, the house adopts passive solar principles and maximises natural cross ventilation and penetration of natural light,” says Kosky. “It also utilises water-saving fixtures and incorporates 10,000 litres of underground rainwater storage, solar photovoltaic panels, solar hot water panels, as well as LED lighting throughout.”
After having lived in the house for more than a year, Chong says she has seen it successfully perform in different seasons, rarely requiring much in the way of appliances for heating or cooling. “A concrete floor slab holds warmth for cool evenings, harsh sunlight is screened with deep overhangs providing generous shade, and floor-to-ceiling glass allows the penetration of warm winter sun.”
By strategically locating courtyards, windows, double-height spaces and skylights, Kosky says the design sought to overcome the inherent problems of historical inner-city housing – deep plans, poor ventilation and lack of natural light to the middle of the house. “There are also a series of readily available technologies – photovoltaic panels, evacuated tube solar hot water, underground water tanks and composting bins, which means that there are minimal inputs and outputs to and from the house,” he says.
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By strategically locating courtyards, windows, double-height spaces and skylights, Kosky says the design sought to overcome the inherent problems of historical inner-city housing – deep plans, poor ventilation and lack of natural light to the middle of the house. “There are also a series of readily available technologies – photovoltaic panels, evacuated tube solar hot water, underground water tanks and composting bins, which means that there are minimal inputs and outputs to and from the house,” he says.
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5. Sculptured concrete shapes for harbour beach house, New South Wales
Project: Balmoral House
Architects: Designed by both Clinton Murray and Polly Harbison
Location: Balmoral, New South Wales
Size: 450 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 National Architecture Awards – Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 NSW Architecture Awards – Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 Mosman Design Awards – Contribution to the built environment; Commendation: 2015 Houses Awards – New house over 200 square metres; The Master Builders Association NSW – Excellence in Housing Award – Bellevarde Constructions; The Master Builders Association NSW – Best Use of Concrete Award – Bellevarde Constructions
Top three green points:
Project: Balmoral House
Architects: Designed by both Clinton Murray and Polly Harbison
Location: Balmoral, New South Wales
Size: 450 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 National Architecture Awards – Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 NSW Architecture Awards – Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 Mosman Design Awards – Contribution to the built environment; Commendation: 2015 Houses Awards – New house over 200 square metres; The Master Builders Association NSW – Excellence in Housing Award – Bellevarde Constructions; The Master Builders Association NSW – Best Use of Concrete Award – Bellevarde Constructions
Top three green points:
- concrete mass offering temperature stabilisation
- solar gains for internal light
- orientation providing optimum cross ventilation
Located directly opposite Balmoral Beach on Sydney Harbour, this impressive home investigates the interplay of ‘solid’ and ‘void’ shapes in residential architecture. The initial design by architects Clinton Murray and Polly Harbison was inspired by the work of Isamu Noguchi, whose design work explores positive and negative mass. The home’s sculptural design ideally suited the homeowners, who have a passion for art (displayed throughout the home and garden).
“The house is a careful composition of solid and void, light and shade,” says Murray. “It’s been ‘sculptured’ to allow passers-by to view through the building to the lighthouse on the other side of Balmoral Bay – views are cropped, framed and even blocked to add to the tension.”
“The house is a careful composition of solid and void, light and shade,” says Murray. “It’s been ‘sculptured’ to allow passers-by to view through the building to the lighthouse on the other side of Balmoral Bay – views are cropped, framed and even blocked to add to the tension.”
Form, subdued colour, texture and high-comfort values create a calm and relaxed home. The generous use of concrete not only produces a thermal mass which stores heat in winter, but also forms a barrier against extremes in summer. Natural light floods the interiors through the voids that penetrate the distinctive concrete shapes. “We’ve allowed many opportunities for the interiors to be lit by natural light, but to still be sheltered from the elements,” writes Murray about the project. “Every window is screened externally. The ceiling height in the kitchen and placement of the windows (four metres long) allows for the winter sun to flood into the room. Glare can be controlled by external blinds.”
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See more of this project
6. Smart heating and cooling in a sunny climate, Australian Capital Territory
Project: Wonga Street House
Architect: Andrew Verri, Light House Architecture and Science (formerly known as Jigsaw Housing)
Location: O’Connor, ACT
Size: 180 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 3 living areas (one also a flexible guest bedroom), 2 bathrooms
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 ACT Residential Architecture Award, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Shortlisted: 2015 ACT Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Sustainability
Top three green points:
Project: Wonga Street House
Architect: Andrew Verri, Light House Architecture and Science (formerly known as Jigsaw Housing)
Location: O’Connor, ACT
Size: 180 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 3 living areas (one also a flexible guest bedroom), 2 bathrooms
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 ACT Residential Architecture Award, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Shortlisted: 2015 ACT Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Sustainability
Top three green points:
- solar passive design reduces energy needs
- solar energy generates hot water and electricity
- scientific testing (of air leakage and more)
Canberra is perfect for solar passive design. “It’s very sunny, with an average of 7.6 hours of sunshine per day,” says Jenny Edwards, a building scientist. “All it takes is some basic building science, good design and quality construction to make a house that requires very little, if any, daytime heating during Canberra’s cold winter, and only needs ceiling fans to keep at comfortable temperatures in summer.”
Orientation is also an important consideration. This simple family house in the nation’s capital is planned around a large deciduous tree in the backyard, and this allows plenty of winter sunshine and summer shade. “The north-facing dining area flows seamlessly to the rear via a generous deck,” says architect Andrew Verri of Light House Architecture. “Windows throughout the home are positioned to carefully frame views to the garden. The external material palette is restrained but expressive: there are cedar-framed windows and doors, and a yellow-clad studio space offsets the predominantly grey brick and black shadow-clad facade.”
Orientation is also an important consideration. This simple family house in the nation’s capital is planned around a large deciduous tree in the backyard, and this allows plenty of winter sunshine and summer shade. “The north-facing dining area flows seamlessly to the rear via a generous deck,” says architect Andrew Verri of Light House Architecture. “Windows throughout the home are positioned to carefully frame views to the garden. The external material palette is restrained but expressive: there are cedar-framed windows and doors, and a yellow-clad studio space offsets the predominantly grey brick and black shadow-clad facade.”
As ACT temperatures dip below freezing in winter and rise above 30°C in summer, incorporating sustainable design credentials in a home such as this can be a challenge. Not so for Verri and Edwards, who helps the practice specialise in designing and modifying houses to suit the climate of the region. In fact, Edwards has been instrumental in the rigorous testing of energy-efficiencies of this house.
Soon after the homeowners moved in, Edwards measured for air leaks. Wonga House is designed to be as airtight as possible, to improve the control of the internal temperature in winter and summer. She measured eight air changes per hour at test pressures, which is within the ideal range of fewer than 10 changes per hour for new Canberra houses. The family also noted that when the house was closed up during the day in a heat wave, it was slow to heat up because it’s so well sealed and insulated. This kept the maximum temperature down and everyone cheerful.
Verri and Edwards also believe there is a cost benefit in installing double glazed windows in Canberra homes. When heat and cold can’t penetrate, cooling or heating systems aren’t necessary. “Using this approach, our houses regularly achieve Energy Efficiency Ratings (EER) of eight stars, which equates to predicted heating and cooling loads totalling half that of a six-star design of the same size (six stars EER is the minimum standard currently required in most states of Australia),” writes Edwards about the project.
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Soon after the homeowners moved in, Edwards measured for air leaks. Wonga House is designed to be as airtight as possible, to improve the control of the internal temperature in winter and summer. She measured eight air changes per hour at test pressures, which is within the ideal range of fewer than 10 changes per hour for new Canberra houses. The family also noted that when the house was closed up during the day in a heat wave, it was slow to heat up because it’s so well sealed and insulated. This kept the maximum temperature down and everyone cheerful.
Verri and Edwards also believe there is a cost benefit in installing double glazed windows in Canberra homes. When heat and cold can’t penetrate, cooling or heating systems aren’t necessary. “Using this approach, our houses regularly achieve Energy Efficiency Ratings (EER) of eight stars, which equates to predicted heating and cooling loads totalling half that of a six-star design of the same size (six stars EER is the minimum standard currently required in most states of Australia),” writes Edwards about the project.
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7. Collecting water run-off in the rolling hills, South Australia
Project: Robertson House
Architects: Max Pritchard and Andrew Gunner of Max Pritchard Gunner Architects
Location: Myponga Beach, SA
Size: 250 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 SA Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Top three green points:
Project: Robertson House
Architects: Max Pritchard and Andrew Gunner of Max Pritchard Gunner Architects
Location: Myponga Beach, SA
Size: 250 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 SA Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Top three green points:
- roof design channels water collection
- north-facing double glazed windows capture internal light
- on-site sourcing of materials
Environmental considerations were important in the design of this remote house on an exposed rolling hillside overlooking a secluded stretch of coastline on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. A dynamic tilted triangular roof pitches down to allow rainwater to collect at one point, where it flows into an underground tank. “This provides the house water supply,” says architect Max Pritchard. “The site is also relatively steeply sloped, so to achieve a north orientation [for maximum sunlight] one end of the pavilion was embedded into the hillside and the other side projects out, capturing the spectacular view.”
Pritchard was impressed, and a little surprised, that the homeowners embraced the project’s adherence to ecologically sound construction from the get-go. “They collected all the stone that was used in the build from their property and worked on significant landscaping aspects. It’s really rewarding to see people so enthusiastically embrace a new house as part of a change in lifestyle,” he says.
The home was built on a well-insulated suspended concrete slab, which was critical in providing thermal mass for heating and cooling. To keep temperatures even and the living area well lit, large north-facing double glazed windows were installed.
Andrew Gunner, a partner architect who also worked on the project’s design, explains that the attention he and Pritchard gave passive design principles “meant that the homeowners rarely need to use the air-conditioning system during summer. In winter, additional heating is provided with an efficient fireplace, with timber sourced from the general area.”
“For a project like this,” Gunner adds, “designing for the winter months is as important as designing for the summer – as a lot of Australia is well known for its hot, arid climate. A project like this also reflects the balance between designing for our outdoor lifestyle as well as our indoor, especially once things get a bit wet and blowy!”
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Andrew Gunner, a partner architect who also worked on the project’s design, explains that the attention he and Pritchard gave passive design principles “meant that the homeowners rarely need to use the air-conditioning system during summer. In winter, additional heating is provided with an efficient fireplace, with timber sourced from the general area.”
“For a project like this,” Gunner adds, “designing for the winter months is as important as designing for the summer – as a lot of Australia is well known for its hot, arid climate. A project like this also reflects the balance between designing for our outdoor lifestyle as well as our indoor, especially once things get a bit wet and blowy!”
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8. Nestling into the blue gums on the coast, Tasmania
Project: Lagoon House
Architects: Mat Hinds and Polly Taylor of Taylor and Hinds Architects
Location: Clifton Beach, Tasmania
Size: 293 square metres; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Australian awards: Winner: Edmond Dorney Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 Intergrain Timber Vision Awards – Residential Interior; Commendation: 2015 Intergrain Timber Vision Awards – Residential Exterior; Commendation: 2015 Houses Awards – New House over 200 square metres; Finalist: 2015 Think Brick Awards – Kevin Borland Masonry Award
Top three green points:
Project: Lagoon House
Architects: Mat Hinds and Polly Taylor of Taylor and Hinds Architects
Location: Clifton Beach, Tasmania
Size: 293 square metres; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Australian awards: Winner: Edmond Dorney Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 Intergrain Timber Vision Awards – Residential Interior; Commendation: 2015 Intergrain Timber Vision Awards – Residential Exterior; Commendation: 2015 Houses Awards – New House over 200 square metres; Finalist: 2015 Think Brick Awards – Kevin Borland Masonry Award
Top three green points:
- sustainability is part of holistic approach
- roof shape maximises sunlight and ventilation
- importance of natural habitat for orientation of house
This single-storey dwelling sits on the edge of Pipeclay Lagoon behind a stretch of coastline and close to many of the surf beaches south of Hobart, this single-storey dwelling. It was designed for an active young family. Apart from its lose proximity to water (a lagoon and the sea), the house is sited in a clearing surrounded by a number of large Tasmanian blue gums, which provide shade and ambience.
When designing the house, architects Poppy Taylor and Mat Hinds chose the best options available for the home’s heating and cooling systems. The home features solar-boosted hydronic floor heating, temperature regulation in the thermal mass of concrete floors and block walls, and a roofline that lifts to allow for a roof-mounted evacuated-tube system for ventilation. Where practical, locally sourced and sustainably produced materials were also specified.
When designing the house, architects Poppy Taylor and Mat Hinds chose the best options available for the home’s heating and cooling systems. The home features solar-boosted hydronic floor heating, temperature regulation in the thermal mass of concrete floors and block walls, and a roofline that lifts to allow for a roof-mounted evacuated-tube system for ventilation. Where practical, locally sourced and sustainably produced materials were also specified.
The position of the house capitalises on natural light through solar orientation and provides additional natural ventilation. “Solid timber shutters are positioned to maximise the thoroughfare of a cross-breeze, particularly afforded by southerly sea breezes during high summer,” says Hinds.
“We see architecture as a means of heightening an awareness of the momentary engagement between people, their togetherness and the places in which they live,” says Hinds. “We must understand these conditions first, and make architecture that resonates between us and the world in which we all live.”
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“We see architecture as a means of heightening an awareness of the momentary engagement between people, their togetherness and the places in which they live,” says Hinds. “We must understand these conditions first, and make architecture that resonates between us and the world in which we all live.”
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9. A recycled cottage on a triangular urban site, New South Wales
Project: Nikki Maloney House
Architect: Drew Heath of Drew Heath Architects
Location: Marrickville, NSW
Size: Under 200 square metres; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 NSW Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 NSW Architecture Awards –Sustainable Architecture
Top three green points:
Project: Nikki Maloney House
Architect: Drew Heath of Drew Heath Architects
Location: Marrickville, NSW
Size: Under 200 square metres; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Australian awards: Winner: 2015 NSW Architecture Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Winner: 2015 NSW Architecture Awards –Sustainable Architecture
Top three green points:
- recycled materials; using existing cottage
- creating a cooling haven in a largely old and semi-industrial suburb
- cross ventilation, solar panel usage
This small house in an old inner Sydney suburb is a remaking of an existing cottage, which was dismantled and recycled back into the new building. In fact, 30 per cent of the building matter is recycled. “For me, the design process was very
much about working with the materials and particularly the offcuts we had – nothing was wasted,” says architect Drew Heath. And what wasn’t on site to use, Heath nabbed from elsewhere. For example, some floors are made from recycled flooring from a Botany warehouse.
much about working with the materials and particularly the offcuts we had – nothing was wasted,” says architect Drew Heath. And what wasn’t on site to use, Heath nabbed from elsewhere. For example, some floors are made from recycled flooring from a Botany warehouse.
The obvious elements of sustainability are all there: small footprint, solar hot water, natural ventilation, low VOC finishes, low voltage appliances and the recycling of materials. “I have always seen this as a low budget house. It is really basic materials, generally exposed and not overly finished. Any extra time or money has been invested in creating solid, handmade details, such as shelving and bench space in the kitchen,” says Heath.
Located on a triangular site, the house presents as a one-storey building to the street and hides a large courtyard behind; this green space helps mitigate the temperature generated from heat-conducting hard surfaces in the surrounding inner-city area. “The principle was to build a private courtyard house that orientates itself to a garden,” says Heath. “What is a bonus is the haven this has become for native birdlife.”
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Located on a triangular site, the house presents as a one-storey building to the street and hides a large courtyard behind; this green space helps mitigate the temperature generated from heat-conducting hard surfaces in the surrounding inner-city area. “The principle was to build a private courtyard house that orientates itself to a garden,” says Heath. “What is a bonus is the haven this has become for native birdlife.”
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Sustainable Homes
Sustainable Design 2023: What's New and Where's it Heading Next?
Sustainability is fast becoming the strongest design direction of 2023 – here are the green products you need to know
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Project Of The Week
A New Artfully Designed Eco Home With a Few Surprises
Set on a unique suburban block in Melbourne, this inky-black home puts sustainability and versatility front and centre
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Garden Design
14 Ways to Use Plants to Protect Your Home From Summer Heat
By Frauke Gans
Planting around your house can improve your microclimate indoors and save on energy – here are 14 ways to do it
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Gardening
9 Ways to Be Water-Wise in Your Edible Garden
Wondering how to use less water in your fruit or vegetable garden? Read nine ways to conserve water and grow a lush crop
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A sustainability consultant advised plastic cladding? Is this normal plastic from petroleum?
A personal situation dictated building our retirement home in Australia using lightweight construction --we had to go with a factory build as we couldn't spend the time on-site to supervised concrete, rammed earth, or other high-mass methods. However, we've been pleased by how comfortable a dwelling attention to sun orientation, the depth of eaves, ventilation paths, insulation and sealing produced. Yes, it warms up during a hot summer day (although we think that will be much improved by new east wall shade sails) but it cools off beautifully at night. A wood stove and passive solar keeps the place warm, even toasty, in the winter (like having to open windows in the afternoon on sunny days toasty). All the wood comes from our property.
My biggest regret is that we didn't pay a private inspector to check on the house during factory construction, as we discovered after delivery that the builder had done a poor job of implementing the insulation specifications.
...And, I should have added, appropriate shading in hot-summer climates, ventilation, insulation, sealing and attention to orientation should all be achievable on a reasonable budget! Maybe once we actually retire we'll build an addition with a shared rammed-earth wall....