“It’s a joy to wake up to the singing of the birds and crisp air of Central Victoria. The house never gets too hot or cold while inhabited and can be opened up to maximize air flow in summer. It has great outdoor living areas to complement the spacious indoor living. We are at the stage of our lives where a living environment should be as uncluttered as possible and our minimalist approach to furnishing achieves this we believe.”
The owners sought to build an energy efficient home while taking advantage of spectacular views over Castlemaine to the south. A compromise was reached through the use of a large clerestory window which allows the winter sun to fall on the thermal mass of a concrete floor and a room with significant feature stone walls. The house is shared between two couples, one of whom bases his Energy Rating business in Castlemaine, while the other couple still treats it largely as a weekender, due to work commitments in the city. It is thus well zoned and the disused wing can be closed off. It is heavily insulated, with minimal intrusions into the insulation, and relies on a wood heater to provide the heating. The cathedral ceiling captures much of this heat which is ducted to the bedrooms in the wings with the aid of inline fans. In hot weather this same system can be used to draw hot air from the building. All windows are double glazed and low maintenance and high performing large double glazed windows and doors to the south were an essential part of enjoying the views and bush setting.
