Nestled in Blue Mountains bushland, Off Grid FZ House acts as a premium benchmark for sustainable living in coexistence with nature under extreme conditions. Unwavering commitment to holistic sustainable practice is at the heart of this project, humanising contemporary architecture through a connection with nature.
The conceptual contribution to the public domain is evident: sustainable design and building in bushfire-prone areas without access to services is possible with innovative and resilient measures. While the dwelling is private, public amenity is delivered through beautiful scenery of extensive bushland visible from the public domain.
Though the bush block spans acres, the built form remains modest, hence requiring minimal tree clearance for bushfire safety only. All such trees are reused on site, most notably for the internal structure as well as for the kitchen bench top and joinery, minimising manufacturing and transport of additional materials to the site, while giving the timber renewed purpose, showcasing their tremendous range of colours, textures and maturity.
With Off Grid FZ House being perched on a ridge, it boasts prospects across the valley, extended through the deck wrapping around the southern wing. The verandah roof affording a dual purpose, folding down to be used as a flame zone bushfire screen as required.
The functional performance of the dwelling meets the brief in providing a BAL-FZ (Flame Zone) resilient, net zero emissions home. Due to the project’s ground-breaking nature, it required a variety of specialists’ contributions, including engineers at Partridge as well as Bill Anderson, and bushfire and ecology consultants.
Costs were minimised through the modest footprint of the home and the reuse of timber from the site, and clever design strategies incorporated into the design ensures zero operational energy and hence zero costs.
The home is self-sufficient in terms of power, water and sewage.
No wheelchair access for this property
