Arles
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House Notes – Arles
We built this home seven years ago with the goal of living more lightly on the land. We are a retired couple originally from Canberra where we raised our five kids in a solar passive house we built in 1994, with many low energy features. In this much smaller house on a much larger block, we are trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle. So this solar passive house has tiled floors, PV panels and solar hot water, rainwater harvesting, on-site treatment of all wastewater, slow combustion heating and excellent cross-ventilation design. It sits on two acres of fertile land that we are developing using permaculture principles such as organic pest control, recycling, water harvesting and management, a food forest and vegetable patch, newly created creeks and rainforest, and the regeneration of an existing stand of eucalyptus to create bird and wildlife habitat.
Designed by Matt Brindley, Swell Architects and built by Waylyn Homes.
Donations from visiting this home will go to Dignity. Supporting people in crisis and facing homelessness.
This home is supported by
Midcoast Branch
Sustainability Features
- Energy efficiency:
- Draught proofing
Efficient lighting
Efficient appliances
- Passive heating cooling:
- Cross ventilation
Passive solar designed home
Shading
Thermal mass
- Passive heating cooling:
- Tiled floors act as thermal buffers – storing solar and fireplace heat in winter and storing coolth in summer.
- Active heating cooling:
- Ceiling fans
Split system airconditioner
- Active heating cooling:
- Slow combustion radiant heat woodfire uses wood sourced from own and neighbouring properties
- Water heating:
- Solar hot water (evacuated tube)
- Water harvesting and saving features:
- Above ground rainwater storage
Blackwater system
Stormwater management
Low flow shower heads
Drip irrigation
- Above ground rainwater storage Type:
- Steel tanks x 3
- Above ground rainwater storage Size
- 25,000L
- Storage connected to
- Garden
Toilet
Laundry
- Water harvesting and saving
- Agricultural dam on property 25m diameter. Rainwater runoff is directed into this dam via underground ag pipes. We have created two new creeks above and below the dam to control the water flow off the property, and to provide riparian habitat for plants and animals. Constructed swales and berms on contour lines of entire property to harvest rainfall. Garden areas are heavily mulched. Any supplementary watering required is usually achieved with stored rainwater.
- Energy Efficient Lighting
- LED lights throughout
Natural daylight
Skylight
- Window Protection:
- Awnings (external)
Blinds
Deciduous tree/vegetation
Drapes/curtains
Pelmets
Solar pergola
- Window Protection:
- Reflective coating to west-facing door and east-facing clerestory window
- Sustainable materials:
- Recycled sleepers form the study desktops. Recycled materials outdoors for construction of propagating area, vegetable beds, compost bins, chook house. Solar pump usually circulates water between new creek and existing dam, but is off at the moment because of the drought. Local rock collected and hand-laid for hard landscaping.
- Recycled and reused materials:
- Aggregate
Appliances
Insulation
Pallets
Rocks/stone
Sleepers
- Insulation Type:
- Ceiling
Internal walls
- Ceiling Type:
- Recycled glass wool
- Ceiling Rating:
- R3.5
- Internal Walls Insulation Type:
- Recycled glass wool
- Internal Walls Insulation Rating:
- R2.5
- All-Electric Home?
- No
- Renewable energy used:
- Solar PV grid connect
- Size of PV system:
- 5kW
- Total cost of home when constructed:
- $500,000
- Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
- $10,000 – $20,000
- Estimate of annual savings:
- $2000 – $3000
- House Size
- 177m2
- BAL Rating
- BAL – 12.5: Ember attack with heat up to 12.5kW/m2
- Roof
- Metal (Colorbond)
- Wall Materials
- Lightweight construction (timber frame)
- Window and Door Types
- Awning
Clerestory windows
Louvre windows
Low-e, films
Sliding windows/doors
Pocket doors
Skylights
- Universal Design Features
- 80cm minimum door opening width
Hobless showers
Lever handles for doors (no knobs)
Minimum 110cm wide hallways
Shower head on rail for various heights
Tapware to be easily accessed from outside the shower
Window openings easily accessible
- Number of bedrooms
- 4
- Number of bathrooms
- 3
- Garden / Outdoors
- We propagate most of our plantings on site from cuttings or seeds. All plant material grown on site is used on site – for food (human and animal), fuel, compost, mulch, worm farm, even artworks. We have created a native plant regeneration area where we are just watching and weeding. Native plants, birds, frogs and animals are slowly returning.
- Garden / Outdoors
- Bee keeping
Bee hotels/friendly
Composting
Drip irrigation
Edible garden
Organic
Permaculture
Native plants
Water wise plants
- Waste Reduction Practices:
- Compost all food scraps
Recycle
Repair
Swap with friends and neighbours
- Healthy home features
- Asthma and allergy free certified carpet
Cabinet design to minimise dust collection
Chemical free cleaning products used
Cross flow ventilation
Heat recovery ventilation (HRV)
Indoor plants for air filtration
Natural light and ventilation
- Housing Type:
- Standalone House
- Project Type:
- New Build
- Open with support of
- Renew Midcoast Branch
- Builder
- Waylyn Homes
- Designer
- Swell Architects
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