Clifton Hill Townhouse
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House Notes – Clifton Hill Townhouse
Energy efficiency, recycled materials and neighbourhood connectedness are at the heart of this inner-Melbourne sustainable build. Shared gardens, productive fruit-trees & veggie patches all contribute to the community feel.
Architect, Chris Barnes Field Office Architecture, designed two three-bedroom townhouses to fit onto a steeply north-south running, 530-square-metre parcel of land. A courtyard in the centre of each house admits northern light over the single-storey front section and deep into the living spaces.
The owners live in one of the townhouses, featured on the accompanying video, and close friends rent the attached property. Designed for aging in place, the couple’s own home has all the necessary living spaces on the entry level: two small studies, bedroom & bathroom, an open-plan kitchen and living space with striking city views. Upstairs, a second living area, guest bedroom & bathroom; downstairs, a workshop, laundry, storeroom, self-contained studio with kitchenette & bathroom.
The 7.5 star homes, built by Sustainable Homes Melbourne, are constructed with insulated eco concrete slab floors for thermal mass and reverse brick veneer walls using recycled bricks. Reconstituted timber cladding Weathertex, made from PEFC-certified timber and a small amount of natural wax, has low maintenance requirements. Windows are all low-E double glazed for thermal performance, and honeycomb blinds provide extra insulation. Recycled messmate flooring, wide eves, casement & awning thermally broken aluminium and timber windows placed for cross ventilation, extensive insulation throughout, heat pumps for hot water, space heating and cooling and 16,000 litres of stored water under courtyards all contribute to sustainability.
The two all-electric homes feature a combined capacity of 13.8 kilowatt solar arrays, including 9.8 kilowatt hour batteries and smart technology to calibrate energy usage. The homes are largely self-sufficient with 60% of generation going back into the grid.
Sustainability Features
- Energy efficiency:
- Draught proofing
Efficient lighting
Efficient appliances
Energy monitoring
Smart home features
- Energy efficiency:
- luxoflex duette honeycomb blinds on all glazing (windows/doors); low-e double glazing; thermally broken aluminium window frames on south facing windows
- Passive heating cooling:
- Cross ventilation
Passive solar designed home
Shading
Thermal mass
- Active heating cooling:
- Heat pump
- Active heating cooling:
- AirSmart small duct central heating cooling/heating system powered by heat pump
- Water heating:
- Hot water heat pump
- Water harvesting and saving features:
- Rainwater storage - Above ground
Grey water system
Stormwater management
Low flow shower heads
Low flow taps
Drip irrigation
- Above ground rainwater storage Type:
- Enviro Slimline Lowline tanks
- Above ground rainwater storage Size
- 10,000L
- Energy Efficient Lighting
- LED lights throughout
Natural daylight
- Window Protection:
- Blinds
Eaves
Honeycomb blinds
Pelmets
- Sustainable materials:
- R1.0 underfloor insulation Polystyrene
- Recycled and reused materials:
- Bricks
Cladding
Decking
Floorboards
Timber
- Insulation Type:
- Under-roof
Ceiling
Internal walls
External walls
Floor
- Ceiling Type:
- Bulk – glass wool
- Ceiling Rating:
- 2.5
- Floor Type:
- Bulk - glass wool
- Floor Rating:
- 2.7
- Under Roof Insulation Type:
- R5.0 Roof Batts & Airfoil Insulbreak reflective insulation
- Under Roof Insulation Rating:
- 5
- Internal Walls Insulation Type:
- Bulk – glass wool
- Internal Walls Insulation Rating:
- 2.7
- External Walls Rating:
- 2.7
- External Walls Type:
- Bulk – glass wool
- All-Electric Home?
- Yes
- Energy star rating:
- 7.1
- Renewable energy used:
- Solar PV grid connect
- Size of PV system:
- 8.64kW
- Average Daily Energy Consumption:
- 9kWh
- Total cost of home when constructed:
- $850,000
- Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
- $100,000
- Estimate of annual savings:
- $
- House Size
- 220m2
- BAL Rating
- No BAL rating requirements at time of construction
- Roof
- Metal (Colorbond)
- Wall Materials
- Double brick
Lightweight construction (timber frame)
Reverse Brick veneer
Timber
- Window and Door Types
- Casement
Double glazing
Sliding windows/doors
- Universal design accessability
- Adaptive design
Multi-generational
Universal access
Wheelchair accessible
- Universal Design Features
- 100cm minimum door opening width
Flush thresholds (no lip) to all external doors
Hobless showers
Lever handles for doors (no knobs)
No Corner cupboards
Ramps and path gradients must be less than 20:1
Shower head on rail for various heights
Slip resistant flooring
Tapware to be easily accessed from outside the shower
Window openings easily accessible
- Number of bedrooms
- 3
- Number of bathrooms
- 3
- Garden / Outdoors
- Community vegetable garden
Composting
Drip irrigation
Edible garden
Local indigenous plants
Organic
Native plants
Water wise plants
- Waste Reduction Practices:
- Compost all food scraps
Pickle and preserve food
Recycle
Repair
Swap with friends and neighbours
Waste free/reduced construction site
- Healthy home features
- Airtight house design
Cabinet design to minimise dust collection
Carpet free - tiles/concrete/timber flooring throughout
Chemical free cleaning products used
Cross flow ventilation
Formaldehyde free cabinets
Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
Natural light and ventilation
Natural oil sealer/finishes
VOC free paints/sealer/varnish
Wax based sealer/finish
- Healthy Home
- HOT WATER· Sanden Eco Plus 315 heat pump toeach house RENEWABLE ENERGY · LG NeON solar PV systems from Euan Angus Solar: 8.64kW to House 1,5.2kW to House 2 · LG RESU 10H 9.8 kWh battery to each house · Solaredge Storedge SE5000 grid-hybrid inverter to each house· SolarEdge SE3500H HD Wave grid inverter to each house· Reposit Energy Management Kit to each house WATER SAVING· 5 x 2000L (House 1) and 3 x 2000L(House 2) Enviro Water Tanks Slimline rainwater tanks located under decks,plumbed to toilets and for garden irrigation· Hydrawise automated wateringsystem for garden and vegetable boxes· Leaf Eater Ultra Leaf guards toensure useable water supply· High WELS rated tapware PASSIVE DESIGN,HEATING & COOLING· Layout designed to maximisenorthern solar access in winter, including the use of central courtyards which openfrom the meals areas of each dwelling· Generous eaves to north, east andwest windows providing shading in summer· Reverse brick veneer and concreteslab construction for thermal mass and stabilisation of internal temperature· Natural cross flow ventilation inall living spaces; careful consideration of wind patterns to maximise airflowthrough building· Fully insulated, including use of athermal break brick for the bottom course of all brickwork to ensure no heat transferbetween slab and brick ACTIVE HEATING &COOLING· AirSmart IndoorEnvironment Small Duct heating and cooling systems to each house, powered byheat pumps· Stainless steel mesh and extractorfans in roof spaces for ventilation BUILDING MATERIALS · Recycled bricks from demolishedhouses on the site· Party wall: Hebel panels andinsulation· Weathertex cladding· Recycled messmate and ironbark featurecladding, decking and railings by Timber Revival· Recycled messmate timber flooring byTimber Revival· Bluestone paving toverandahs to reflect the bluestone boulders excavated during the build WINDOWS &GLAZING· Low-E double glazed windowsthroughout; Rylock Thermal Break frames to south-facing windows upstairs foradditional thermal performance and timber frames to all other windows· Luxaflex Duette honeycomb blindsto all windows, combining both blockout and sheer sections for additionalinsulation and privacy LIGHTING· LED lighting from BrightGreen · Porcelain ceramiclight shades in kitchen/dining from local Abbotsford Convent potter PAINTS, FINISHES &FLOOR COVERINGS · Dulux Enviro2 low-VOC paints· Comcork recycledrubber & cork flooring to lower level stairs, basements & storerooms· Altro Piscesslip-resistant waterproof flooring in showers & bathrooms OTHER ESD FEATURES · All-electric homes· 80-90% of construction waste wasdiverted from landfill to recycling depots· Draftstopper Tophat Exhaust fans tobathrooms· Food producing gardens withvegetables and fruit trees
- Housing Type:
- townhouse semi detached
- Project Type:
- New Build
- Builder
- Sustainable Homes Melbourne
- Designer
- Field Office Architecture
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