Text by Penny Craswell
Located on former agricultural land in north-east Victoria, this new home with the relatively small footprint of 100 square metres mimics agricultural buildings, with exteriors in corrugated metal and timber, and a timber picket fence that continues onto the facade at either end to create a striking effect.
One of the challenges of designing this house for BRD Studio was the climate, with temperature extremes from -5 to 45 degrees celsius and the potential of bush fires, and the remoteness of the site, which meant there was no ability to connect to mains power and water.
The architectural response to this has been to create a home with solar orientation and careful placement of windows and shading to limit heat gains/loss to maintain a comfortable temperature inside. The house is powered by 13.2kW solar panels and 28kWh of battery storage, with rainwater harvesting to make the home completely off grid.
The floor plan is split into two zones, with an open-plan living and dining area and large kitchen that connects to an outside deck, and then a bedrooms and bathrooms at the other end of the house, with brick walls to create thermal mass and help to regulate the temperature. Deep wall frames allow for more insulation, while all windows are double-glazed.
For the architects, part of the challenge was to keep that footprint small: “A small footprint means reduced volume, making the home more efficient to heat and cool. This paired with quality passive solar design means the home requires minimal energy to maintain thermal comfort.”
More on BRD Studio
(Project found via @bowerbird.io)
