Armidale House

Anaiwan,
Armidale,
NSW
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About this home

We have been activists for many years. This home – to be our last home – was a tiny 1903 Victorian house. We had bought some German double glazed sliding doors and to use them, we needed to raise the roof. We put in underfloor heating; cork tiles are the most energy efficient covering. We bought an induction stove and air fryer to avoid gas, ditto electric hot water heaters x two to save on heating requirements. Double glazed windows were installed throughout, including the new Bay Window.

We adapted doubled French Doors which created a barrier to cold, along with heavy block-out curtains including the homemade curtains; most internal doors have been embellished by us. We have installed approximately 33 panels, not including the one that supplies the power to open the back gate.

We added the conservatory and another bathroom/study/single bedroom. The outside sinks (recycled) sit beside an outside shower, with a disabled ramp going down to the garden. All steps have a mini ramp at the base of each (only 1 step from front door).

Q & A

What motivated you to build or retrofit sustainably?
Type: Standalone house/townhouse
Project: Home retrofit
Designer: joakim@natmatdesign.com.au
Size: 165m²
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2

Sustainability Features

Building Materials & Envelope

Draught-proofing/air sealing
High-performance insulation
Double or triple-glazed windows
Recycled or reused materials

Heating, Cooling and Ventilation

Passive heating/cooling (north-facing glazing, cross ventilation, thermal mass, shading, etc.)
Heat pump (reverse-cycle) heating/cooling

Energy and Appliances

Rooftop solar PV
Battery storage
Energy monitoring/smart home systems
Efficient lighting (LED, daylighting, solar skylights)
Heat pump hot water
Electric cooktop - induction/ceramic

Water & Waste Systems

Water-efficient fixtures
Rainwater tanks

Landscape & Biodiversity

Native garden

Climate Resilience

Accessible & Flexible Design Features

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