This house is one of 12 in Australia built and certified to the international Passivhaus standard. It features high levels of insulation, thermal-bridge-free construction and super-airtightness. Independent testing measured an air infiltration rate of 0.1ACH at 50Pa – about 200 times tighter than the average Canberra home. When coupled with a whole-house ventilation system with heat recovery, the internal air is fresh and the temperature stays comfortable all the time in every room. Greatly reduced allergies and the absence of traffic noise are other bonuses.
The house takes advantage of winter sun to heat the home and has all the ingredients of a solar passive house, like double-glazed north-facing windows, deep eaves, high-thermal-mass floors and windows placed to encourage cross-ventilation. But what takes this house to the next level are the airtight membranes used to completely seal the house, the placement of insulation to completely decouple the slab from the ground, and the use of sandwich panels to avoid thermal bridges.
Heating and cooling have not been used for the last three years. Even on cold frosty mornings when it is -7 degrees Celcius outside, it is a cosy 20 degrees inside. Live temperature and CO2 measurements are viewable online.
Read more about the house here.
Also open is a newly built home-office on the same block. Come and see this tiny prefabricated gem. Made from timber and cellulose, it demonstrates how to build energy-efficient homes without foam and plastic. It features timber/aluminum triple-glazed windows and a ductless ventilation system with heat recovery.
The studio was constructed by LogikHaus. To find out more click here.
To find out more about the the Passive House Standard click here.
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