The runner up to the 2013 HIA Greensmart Custom Built Home of the Year Award.
This solar passive home is comprised of two main living areas, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study and a loft. Designed by Lucky Stripe Design, these features were economically packed into 185m2 of space on a 360m2. The use of alternate methods of construction helped make this house a standout in energy efficiency (achieving a 9 star rating), and a stylish modern retro building.
When Marc Drexel, Managing Director of ARCeden, set out to design his own home he took on a personal challenge to create a build that would incorporate style with very low running costs and a minimal environmental footprint.
The Carbon Neutral team were invited to look around the finished project in Perth and learn more about the vision behind the eco build.
Upon entering the house, the first noticeable feature is the large ceiling fans (reversible in winter) which help with both cooling and heating. The property has no air conditioning. Yet even on warm days, the house stays cool. By utilising passive solar design – whereby windows, walls, and floors are made to reject solar heat in the summer and collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter, the house has no need for mechanical cooling or heating devices.
The open plan kitchen has a polished concrete floor, with lots of black tint to allow the floor to act as heat sink in winter. Plus highlight windows in the kitchen act as thermal chimneys, reinforcing the effect of hot air rising to induce air movement for cooling purposes.All windows are made from E-glass, a glass with a special coating to reflect heat but allow light to pass through. The big eaves also protect the windows from the summer sun.