Our home is functional, comfortable and full of natural light. The double glazing hushes the outside world to make inside our house peaceful place in which to relax. We love it.
This owner-designed and owner-built house utilises passive solar principles and Hebel panel cladding. All of its space-,energy- and water-saving features are packed into 140 m2 and it is versatile in accommodating people with impaired mobility.
Energy efficiency is achieved by the placement of north facing windows with sufficient overhang to keep out the summer sun. Three clerestory windows are fitted with electric remote winders thus facilitating ventilation during the cool summer nights. Thermal mass is achieved in the tiled waffle pod concrete slab. A small entrance foyer separates the front door and the main living areas. Special attention has been paid to gap sealing around window and door frames and the under roof area has been sprayed with polyurethane foam to achieve R4 insulation.
Rainwater tank capacity is 20,000 litres and supplies the whole house. A greywater recycling system waters the native herbaceous borders on the nature strip. Hot water is produced in a 33-tube evacuated system and 1.6kW of PV panels feed into the grid.
