380 Albert is one bedroom apartment with a north facing bedroom and living area, and west facing kitchen.
The apartment was full of natural light during the day but a lack of external shading, single-glazed, aluminium windows, and no insulation, which left it unbearably hot in summer. Having windows on three sides promoted natural cross ventilation, but - along with a style update - there was a lot of room for improvement.
The apartment was already all-electric, so the focus was to ensure a sustainable, beautiful, and energy efficient renovation that would last.
Thanks to Shaun's DIY skills, and a little help from his friends, he renovated the entire apartment with a small budget. Shaun’s work in the sustainable built environment sector, meant he had a wealth of technical knowledge to help select the best retrofit opportunities, balancing environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, aesthetic, and budget considerations.
Key sustainability upgrades:
- R3.5 glasswool insulation into the roof cavity
- Kingspan Kooltherm k17 board (R1.15) for N and W walls
- Insulated hot water pipes
- Blockout blinds that reflect excess solar heat, coupled with natural timber venetian blinds
- Ceiling fan in the bedroom
- Efficient induction cook top and new oven
- Water efficient (5/6-star WELS) taps in bathroom and kitchen. Other upgrades included:
- New Ikea kitchen with custom stained plywood fronts and a recycled hardwood bench (re-using old kitchen cupboard handles and turned a curtain rail into utensil holder)
- Replacement of carpet with cork flooring throughout
- Replacement of half-bath with fully tiled shower with fluted glass door
- Install secondhand bathroom sink and plywood joinery (using offcuts from kitchen)
- Install dual wardrobe and custom curved shelving with floor-to-ceiling custom stained plywood fronts
- Replaced bedroom door with second hand fluted glass door (and used old door for new study desk)
For more info see @380_Albert
