Carpenters’ House 2015

Carpenters’ House

This three bedroom, two bathroom home was completed in 2005 and built by the owners. The build is reverse brick veneer with harditex cladding on the exterior. The rendered interior walls are solid bessa block, providing large amounts of thermal mass. The reinforced concrete floor is tiled throughout.Recycled materials were used where possible. All the windows frames were made by the owner from recycled timber.

The whole house is insulated, with R4.8 in the roof and R3 in the walls. Block out curtains and pelmets on each window insulate the single glazed windows. Cross ventilation allows cooling breezes in summer.There is a solar hot water system boosted by mains gas and 1 kilowatt of solar PV panels on the roof. All exterior inground plumbing is polyethylene.

Rainwater storage is 24,000 litres. Large north facing windows allow the winter sun in and are shaded in summer with eaves and glory vine. Food scraps are composted in two compost bins.The garden is mainly native with fruit trees on the north.