Brief

Our brief was to create a super high-performance, architecturally detailed home.

The owners wanted an almost passive house performance, yet with architectural style.

Despite these credentials, it still needed to be a family home with room to grow and space to escape.

This was the second home we had created for these homeowners but the family has grown, so they wanted more space.

Hence they had a lot of trust in the process which made it a really positive experience for both.

The project demonstrates it is possible to live sustainably without sacrificing comfort or style and it is now a well-loved family home, which is being lived in and enjoyed by all.

 

Strategy and concept

The design of this home enhances the quality of life for its owners and minimises the environmental impact – both in the building of the home and in the long-term running of the home.

We focussed on energy efficiency, durability, health and air quality.

Featuring durable, natural and low maintenance materials throughout the 300m² home, internal material selections were made with the interior environment quality front of mind.

In an airtight home, the owners wanted everything considered to ensure low to no off-gassing (release of VOCs, from materials into the air) and sustainable sourcing.

Products used also needed to guarantee minimal variations in air temperature and a constant supply of fresh filtered air without sacrificing energy efficiency.

The design also had to optimise natural light and solar gain during the winter months while minimising over heating during the summer.

Expression and execution

Combining a super high performance home with quality, thoroughly considered design details like this takes a lot of work.

We worked closely with a low energy technical designer and suppliers of high performance products to ensure every detail was buildable and would perform to airtightness and ventilation standards.

For a home like this, a meticulous level of attention was paid ensuring design quality and the desired aesthetic wasn’t lost in this process.

It was a great team effort, complemented by a very good structural engineer who understood the brief and what we were trying to achieve with energy use.

Specialist design features include the timber framing system which was prefabricated by a high performance home builder in a stable factory environment, utilising thick (14cm) timber frames and an additional 5cm services cavity to maintain air tight construction.

The foundation is essentially a simple piled system with a cross-laminated timber (CLT) panel flooring system on top to ensure air tightness and a solid under-footing that would have been lost using traditional framing methods when lifted higher to meet flood plain requirements.

In addition to the framing methodology, there’s an internal membrane which isn’t penetrated and creates a complete thermal envelope – giving an airtight interior.

This ensures the interior environment remains stable and comfortable with minimal energy input.

Externally, an aluminium roofing product was used that has superior durability in a coastal environment with next to no maintenance required.

This material wraps down from the roof to the wall cladding, and its softened by natural cedar timber infills, which add a warm, coastal aesthetic to the home.

The structural engineer ensured there were no steel structural elements inside the airtight building envelope, thus reducing any cold bridging to the exterior.

The windows are triple-glazed and were sourced from Lithuania.

The construction methodology of these windows ensures they are not only airtight but smooth and simple to use.

 

Internally, Pure-ply maple, a formaldehyde-free product, was used for all internal joinery throughout the home.

The home also has an advanced Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery System (MVHR).

Its design optimises the indoor air quality and lower energy consumption.

Another key part contributing to the high performance of this home is the insulation, which is above building code standards.

The thicker insulation is wool and is installed in not only the floor, ceiling and walls but also the secondary service cavity skins to the walls and ceilings where all services and ducting are run.

 

Appeal and broader functionality

While the technical aspects of this home are impressive, its aesthetic appeal and functionality are equally noteworthy.

Inside, the four-bedroom home feels like a sanctuary of comfort and elegance.

Natural materials, such as a hemlock timber ceiling, Venetian plaster and stone benchtops, create a warm and inviting atmosphere.

The open-plan living area is designed to maximise space and light, fostering a sense of openness and tranquillity while still connecting the family day to day.

The design also ensures that there is good indoor-outdoor connection and easy access to the pool and external living area – ideal for family living.

In addition, this means that he parents can keep eyes on their young children at all times.

The finished home is elevated by the high standard of well-considered design features combined with its super high performance elements.

There has been no compromise on either side and the result is a much loved family home built to a high level of craftsmanship.

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