Harmonic Design SIPs Panel House
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House Notes – Harmonic Design SIPs Panel House
A freshly completed, compact, two-storey open-plan house + studio, with rural and sea views. This house is part of my evolving interest in designing and creating sustainable lifestyles (for myself and for others). Although very different to the first house I built – a strawbale house (which pushed the boundaries of traditional strawbale) in regional Victoria, this house represents something of a twist on the average domicile. My aspirations for this dwelling was to emulate the form of a ‘typical’, modern domestic house and channel sustainable elements into such as solar passive orientation, an efficient thermal envelope and highly efficient and quality components, such that it represents ‘good value’ whilst appealing to the ‘average punter’.
Stylistically inspired by what I would describe as Nordic-noir, the volume of the house is contained within a small footprint, but views outward towards distant landscapes and the sea are optimised via use of high-performance glazing and careful positioning.
The house is constructed of sandwich panels in the form of SIPs – a unitised system popular in North America, which integrates a foam interior with layers of timber chipboard either side; these are an alternative to standard stick framing building methods and provide a more consistent thermal envelope than traditional stud frame + batt-fill insulation.
Without eaves, solar protection is instead provided by window hoods and a large overhang enclosing the western sea-side deck.
Energy-efficient lighting is used throughout, and lights are independently switched to enable minimal light usage or to maximise the effectiveness of lighting where required.
Solar hot water is provided with a near-perfect orientation that seems to provide full hot water heating throughout winter without boosting. The house has also been wired for 2 x 5kW solar PV arrays, and currently utilises a 6.0kw solar array, which has so far over winter of 2019, performed brilliantly.
Designed by Harmonic Building Design and built by Dellatorre Construction
Sustainability Features
- Energy efficiency:
- Efficient lighting
- Passive heating cooling:
- Passive solar designed home
Shading
- Active heating cooling:
- Ceiling fans
- Water heating:
- Solar hot water (evacuated tube)
- Water harvesting and saving features:
- Above ground rainwater storage
Low flow taps
- Storage connected to
- Garden
Whole house
- Energy Efficient Lighting
- LED lights throughout
Natural daylight
Skylight
- Window Protection:
- Awnings (external)
Honeycomb blinds
- Window Protection:
- Window hoods for sun shading
- Insulation Type:
- Ceiling
Internal walls
External walls
Floor
- Ceiling Type:
- SIPs
- Ceiling Rating:
- R4.5
- Floor Type:
- Bulk – glass wool
- Floor Rating:
- R3.5
- Internal Walls Insulation Type:
- Insulated panel system
- Internal Walls Insulation Rating:
- R3.5
- External Walls Rating:
- R3.5
- External Walls Type:
- Insulated panel system
- All-Electric Home?
- Yes
- Total cost of home when constructed:
- $470,000
- Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
- $80,000
- Estimate of annual savings:
- $3000
- House Size
- 160m2
- BAL Rating
- BAL – 12.5: Ember attack with heat up to 12.5kW/m2
- Roof
- Insulated panel (sandwich panels)
- Wall Materials
- Shipping container
Timber
- Window and Door Types
- Awning
Double glazing
Low-e, films
Sliding windows/doors
- Universal design accessability
- Adaptive design
- Universal Design Features
- 80cm minimum door opening width
Contrasting colours and material for vision impaired
Hobless showers
- Number of bedrooms
- 4
- Number of bathrooms
- 2
- Healthy home features
- Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
No carpets
- Housing Type:
- Standalone House
- Project Type:
- New Build
- Builder
- Dellatorre Construction
- Designer
- Harmonic Building Design
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