Climate Conscious Home

Ngunnawal country,
Narrabundah,
ACT
Online Listing Only

About this home

The house was not energy efficient at all, with poor aspect. We went through and are still going through a process of finding information and making decisions over time, step by step, both adaptation and extension.

Every single thing took lots of investigation and every single decision was predicated on something else. Persistence has got us through to a very comfortable, nearly all electric home with good aspect, insulation, retrofitted double glazing, light, heating and cooling.

The garden is very much local native, based on the great regeneration projects to by found around Canberra and further afield in the surrounds of the ACT.

It is a multi purpose home and very flexible and spacious.

Q & A

What motivated you to build or retrofit sustainably?
I had lived in a sustainable house of high quality, and also experienced very different climates in other countries, so was keen to make the best of orientation and all other means to make life comfortable and cheaper.
Insulation which includes double glazing really. The temperature both summer and winter is much steadier and controllable.
I just wish we'd started earlier and been tougher with builders and designers on the way through.
Build from scratch would be great, or to completely retrofit another house with hindsight!
Back to 2026 Homes
Type: Standalone house/townhouse
Project: Gradual upgrades over time
Size: 170m²
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2

Sustainability Features

Building Materials & Envelope

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

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
Efficient lighting (LED, daylighting, solar skylights)
Electric cooktop - induction/ceramic

Water & Waste Systems

Rainwater tanks
Other

Landscape & Biodiversity

Native garden
Edible garden

Climate Resilience

Heatwave

Accessible & Flexible Design Features

Design for flexible use
Design for multigenerational living or dual occupancy
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