Albert Park House 2019

Albert Park House

Our house is a 1930, three bedroom bungalow on a quarter acre block. In 2007 we added a new extension to the back. This lounge/dining and kitchen has a contemporary look though we retained the brick wall that was the original back of the house.

The extension is a timber frame with corrugated galvanised steel outer cladding with insulation in the ceiling and walls. All the extension windows are double-glazed and include clerestory windows that open to allow cross ventilation. The extension is now twelve years old and still looking good.

An array of eight panels generating an average of 1.4kw of power gives us enough power to negate our power bill for most of the year. We have two electric heaters that we use only in the lounge and main bedroom during the evenings in the coldest part of winter; the extension does not usually require any additional heating. We do not have air-conditioning but in Summer cross-ventilation through the open windows during the night purges the heat from the room. It is only after several very hot days that the heat can’t be purged.

We have a 23,000 litres above ground water tank: a 2000 litre tank is plumbed to the toilet, with overflow redirected to two 9,000 litres tanks with pump. We also capture water from the garage roof to use in an outdoor sink for garden use. Grey water from the washing machine and kitchen rinse water are used to water the small lawn under our pergola in Summer.

We have a great garden in which we grow some vegetables, fruit and herbs. Most of the materials used in the garden are recycled from other uses. We have three chickens, a worm farm and five compost bins. We recycle all our food waste on site and we source extra compost material from our local Fruit and Vegetable shop. We recycle obsessively, we make all kinds of preserves, including using a Fowlers Vacola kit regularly, grow and brine our own olives. We share/swap our humble produce with family, friends, neighbours and at the West Croydon Fruit and Veggie Swap. Françoise has done a Permaculture certificate at the Food Forest, Gawler, did the Living Smart SA course in 2017 and is one of the organisers of Boomerang Bags Adelaide group.

Design concept by home owner and built with the assistance of an independent project manager.

In the last few weeks new double glazed windows have been installed to replace the 1970s aluminium frames single pane windows in the older part of the house. And they look good!

If you would like a preview of the house or can’t make it to Albert Park on the day you can watch Françoise talk about the house and the renovation at Adelaide Sustainable Building Network’s Focus on Sustainable House Day 2017 at the Joinery.