Sustainability

Our approach to sustainability and building is firstly build only what you need and then what you do build is done so well that it will endure and last for many generations to come.

Passive solar design

Passive solar design is about working with nature to best capture all the natural elements of the site – sun, breezes, water, shading by vegetation and natural slope to name a few. When we initially review a project, we start with the fundamentals of good design which is typically orientating to capture sun in winter and block out in summer, select materials to create internal thermal mass and strive for every room to have natural light from more than one direction which also helps create good cross-flow ventilation. Not only does this approach help to create spaces which are naturally beautiful, but also buildings which are run on the ‘free’ energy first.

A few of our favourite quotes.

‘Sunlight is the best disinfectant’ - Famously said by a US supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis and relates to government transparency and public scrutiny being one of the best ways to prevent corruption and misconduct. We like to think about the more literal sense where allowing natural sunlight into spaces is a great way to eliminate germs and mould and create a general sense of wellbeing for the occupants. 

‘Never underestimate the power of the sun. For better or for worse’ – by us

‘Time – The changing of light throughout the day can be appreciated in a space lit by natural light.’ – by us

Generally Australian building standards are very low and just meeting code does not necessarily deliver a thermally efficient and healthy building. Australia also has a large issue with mould in buildings. This issue can be somewhat exacerbated by a tightly sealed building envelope that is not ventilated properly. Even if a certified Passive House is not the end goal, we ensure walls and roof cavities are detailed to allow adequate ventilation and drying out of the structure.

On-site energy generation

Our first approach to sustainable architecture is to design our buildings to be energy efficient, use little resources such as energy and water and be built from robust, healthy materials. Ourt second approach is to look at how the design can maximise on-site energy generation. In our initial site analysis, we review where neighbouring buildings and trees may potentially limit solar capture and take this into consideration when designing the roof form and pitch. Typically, on the larger rural bush blocks this is not an issue however siting and orientation can become trickier on the tight inner suburban blocks especially when heritage overlays are a factor.

Other simple principles we like to consider in the overall site design is the location of rainwater tanks so roof run-off can be maximised and as much water can be retained on site as possible, retaining sunny spots in the garden for food production and clothes drying.

Passive House (PassivHaus)

A system and method of building which guarantees a very low energy use and healthy home. A Passive House can be considered the next stage in building a sustainable home, once passive solar principles have been applied. There’s a little more in the finer details, however a Passive House relies on five key building principles.

1.      A super insulated building envelope. High levels of insulation in the floors, walls and ceilings. Consider this your building’s warm puffy jacket.

2.      A tightly sealed building envelope and airtight construction to keep the drafts out, insulation and structure dry and free from condensation build-up causing mould. The air tightness is verified via a blower door test. This is the high-quality zipper on your puffy jacket.

3.      Fresh air is delivered to the interior of your building via a heat recovery ventilation system. These are the hardworking lungs of your building.

4.      Good solar orientation and shading over high performance glazing. These openings can become the artwork in your home.

5.      Reduced thermal bridges in the building envelope which can act as a highway for heat transfer. Think about how quickly a metal spoon heats up or cools down.

All the above can be verified through modelling during the design process so you can get an idea of the health and financial benefits your home will bring you before you start on site. Building to Passive House standards can also help achieve a highly bushfire resilient home due to the airtight construction and air filtration system. Lucy is a certified Passive House designer, and we are currently working on a family home which is aiming for Passive House Certification which will utilise an HRV system. Please get in touch if you would like to chat about building a house for the future.

Materials

Our key priorities when selecting materials are non-toxic and low VOC, low maintenance which often means they don’t require regular upkeep – timber is great but does need to be used in the right applications and often protected for longevity. Low cost doesn’t equal low quality. We use a lot of Colorbond metal cladding in typical profiles such as Custom Orb which can look great when combined with hardwood timber cladding. We encourage the use of materials that can be left raw, age gracefully,