Dachshund House 2024

Dachshund House

Dachshund House represented a Copernican revolution for our clients as they sought to establish a sustainable, cost efficient, adaptable and joyful family home within a sea of brick and tile semi-rural suburbia on Kamilaroi country, just outside of Tamworth, north-western NSW.

A deep discussion around making a typical project home sustainable (the early brief) matured into a locally-unique suburban courtyard form that reflects our client’s values and provides a seasonally adaptive cradle for their growing family.

The programme of the house twists around a Coral Bark Maple and fountained pond providing a private, cool, shaded focal point within the semi-arid suburban landscape. Like the eponymous dachshund Ted chasing the sun, every habitable space is oriented to north with generous eaves to manage light and heat.

UPVC double glazing, reverse-veneer construction and a burnished slab help to keep the home constantly warm in winter and strategically placed openings capture the evaporatively cooled breezes from the pond to help it stay comfortable in summer. Fully electric, the photovoltaic array generates more energy than the house uses from the grid with a solar diverter and smart programme maximising green power for water heating.

Internal spaces are deliberately modest in area but generous in volume. The long corridors required for a courtyard form were treated as an extension of adjacent spaces, providing utility of their own. Wet areas create a buffer between the two wings, opening onto a private internal garden.

A muted palette of greys, browns and greens echoes the remnant eucalyptus forests, the burgeoning native garden surrounding the home and the repairing the degraded ecology of the site. Rain and grey water retention support integrated garden beds for herbs and bee attracting native flowers and permaculture gardens producing abundant produce.

Homes like this should no longer be the exception, but the norm.

Sustainability Features

Years Open
2024
ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES
    • Energy efficiency:
    • Draught proofing
      Efficient lighting
      Efficient appliances
      Energy monitoring
      Smart home features
    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Cross ventilation
      Deciduous planting around house
      External planting
      Passive solar designed home
      Shading
      Thermal mass
    • Active heating cooling:
    • Ceiling fans
      Split system airconditioner
    • Water heating:
    • Water heated by PV system
    • 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:
    • Poly rainwater tank
    • Above ground rainwater storage Size
    • 22,500L
    • Energy Efficient Lighting
    • LED lights throughout
      Natural daylight
    • Window Protection:
    • Awnings (external)
      Eaves
      External window hoods/surrounds
SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS
    • Sustainable materials:
    • - 22,500L rainwater tank - 5,000L pond for evaporative cooling - Passive solar design - Reverse veneer construction
    • Recycled and reused materials:
    • Concrete
      Excavated earth
      Sleepers
      Timber
INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS
    • Insulation Type:
    • Ceiling
      External walls
    • Ceiling Type:
    • Bulk – glass wool
    • Ceiling Rating:
    • R5.0
    • External Walls Rating:
    • R2.5
    • External Walls Type:
    • Bulk – glass wool
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS
    • All-Electric Home?
    • Yes
    • Renewable energy used:
    • Solar PV grid connect
    • Size of PV system:
    • 6.6kW
    • Average Daily Energy Consumption:
    • 5.8kWh
HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
    • House Size
    • 168m2
    • BAL Rating
    • No BAL rating requirements at time of construction
    • Roof
    • Metal (Colorbond)
    • Wall Materials
    • Concrete blocks
      Metal (Colorbond)
      Reverse Brick veneer

    • Wall Materials
    • Plywood
    • Window and Door Types
    • Awning
      Casement
      Double glazing
      Sliding windows/doors
    • Universal design accessability
    • Adaptive design
    • Universal Design Features
    • 80cm minimum door opening width
      Hobless showers
      No stairs/steps
      No Corner cupboards
    • Number of bedrooms
    • 3
    • Number of bathrooms
    • 2
GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Bee keeping
      Bee hotels/friendly
      Chickens
      Composting
      Drip irrigation
      Edible garden
      Frog friendly
      Local indigenous plants
      Organic
      Permaculture
      Native plants
      Water wise plants
      Worm farm
    • Waste Reduction Practices:
    • Book exchange/library
      Compost all food scraps
      Make jams/conserves
      Recycle
      Toy exchange/library
      Swap with friends and neighbours
HEALTHY HOME FEATURES
    • Healthy home features
    • Asthma and allergy free certified carpet
      Cabinet design to minimise dust collection
      Chemical free cleaning products used
      Cross flow ventilation
      Formaldehyde free cabinets
      Indoor plants for air filtration
      Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
      Natural oil sealer/finishes
Location
Moore Creek / Tamworth NSW 2340
    • Housing Type:
    • Standalone House
    • Project Type:
    • New Build
    • Builder
    • Adrian Dernee Building Services
    • Designer
    • Maxwell & Page Architects

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