Cooee Park is as much about where it is situated as it is about the warm internal colours, sensitive building materials and the gentle way it rests on the land.
Sitting within a wider precinct of 650ha of conservation covenanted properties, Cooee Park is 36ha of dry heathy forest, gentle slopes and a history of care ofTaungurung people.
Through the commitment of architect Geoffrey Falk, the design combines compact simplicity, a high design ethos, proximity to natural beauty and a comfortable ambience.
The house is solar passive and independent from grid-connected water, sewage and electricity. Composting toilets, tank water and roof-based solar power all reduce energy and consumption requirements. The power system adequately handles recharge for an EV.
Designed with views into the surrounding forest, all windows are double-glazed, tilt-and-turn and optimise cooling breezes when required. Generous eves, 140mm timber walls, an insulated concrete slab and internal rammed earth walls maximise thermal mass.
Heating is from an Ethos wood fireplace and cooling via the high-performance passive design and ceiling fans. Internal temperatures sit at around 23 degrees with a maximum of 27 degrees even after a few days of external temperatures exceeding 40 degrees. Ceiling fans reduce this to a ‘feels like’ temperature of 24 degrees on 40 plus days.
Within an ever-warming climate, the house is BAL29 fire rating, with a bespoke roof sprinkler system to mitigate fire risk.
