Bungalow Upcycle
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House Notes – Bungalow Upcycle
This classic 1950s cream-brick house had a granny flat built very close to its back wall, joined with a sub-standard link and cutting off access to the big backyard. Instead of knocking the buildings down and rebuilding, they were retained and extensively refurbished into a comfortable and energy-efficient family home. There’s a new kitchen and living space in the old flat, with much better visual and physical connection to the backyard via wide glazed doors opening onto a deck.
A new cathedral ceiling in the granny flat allows for northern clerestory windows that let in natural light. The solid timber 1970s kitchen was removed, refurbished and reinstalled in a new configuration, with the addition of recycled timber shelving, E0 laminate pantry and a benchtop of recycled-cement-and-timber Kobe board. A new link between the buildings was designed to fit under the existing eaves and avoid changes to the house’s roofline; it features a recycled Blackbutt barn-style door.
Designed by Brave New Eco and Geometrica, and built by Macasar Building.
Article written by Anna Cumming and professional photos taken by Emma Byrnes – see more and read the full article from
Sanctuary issue S44
Sustainability Features
- Energy efficiency:
- Draught proofing
Efficient lighting
Efficient appliances
- Passive heating cooling:
- Cross-ventilation
Passive solar designed home
Thermal chimney
- Active heating cooling:
- Ceiling fans
Evaporative
- Water heating:
- Solar hot water (evacuated tube)
- Water harvesting and saving features:
- Above-ground rainwater storage
Low-flow shower heads
Low-flow taps
- Above ground rainwater storage Type:
- Modline steel rainwater tanks with ability to add 10,000L in the future
- Above ground rainwater storage Size
- 3590L
- Energy Efficient Lighting
- LED lights throughout
Natural daylight
- Window Protection:
- Solar pergola
- Recycled and reused materials:
- Skirting board and architraves, tiles
- Recycled and reused materials:
- Bricks
Doors
Kitchen cabinets
Timber
- Insulation Type:
- Under-roof
Ceiling
Internal walls
External walls
Floor
- Ceiling Rating:
- R2.5
- Floor Type:
- Bulk – polystyrene board
- Floor Rating:
- R2.0
- Under Roof Insulation Type:
- Reflective foil
- Under Roof Insulation Rating:
- R1.0
- Internal Walls Insulation Rating:
- R1.5
- External Walls Rating:
- R2.5
- All-Electric Home?
- No
- Renewable energy used:
- Solar PV grid-connected
- Size of PV system:
- 1.5kW
- House Size
- 200m2
- Roof
- Metal (colorbond)
Tiles (clay)
- Wall Materials
- Double brick
- Wall Materials
- External cladding: Modak Board 10mm MgO board and FSC-certified silver top Ash boards with shiplap profile
- Window and Door Types
- Double-glazing
- Window and Door Types
- Existing door and windows replaced throughout with argon-filled double-glazing. Existing window opening widths were used to avoid wastage and patching of bricks.
- Number of bedrooms
- 3
- Number of bathrooms
- 2
- Garden / Outdoors
- Permeable surfaces and hops growing for home-made beer
- Garden / Outdoors
- Composting
Drip irrigation
Edible garden
Native plants
Water-wise plants
- Healthy home features
- Cabinet design to minimise dust collection
Cross-flow ventilation
Indoor plants for air filtration
Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
- Housing Type:
- Standalone House
- Project Type:
- Renovation
- Builder
- Macasar Building
- Designer
- Brave New Eco and Geometrica
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