Blackheath Strawbale House
This house is not opening in person, but you can explore the profile and ask the homeowner a question below.
Blackheath Strawbale House
Winner of 2017 National Design Award for sustainable design.
My straw bale and cob home is warm, welcoming, light, a little quirky, contemporary – and unique!
Designing your own home is a great adventure – I designed it to be an easy, comfortable family home and I love living here. My brief included that it should be sensitive to its native bush setting, and economical to build and to live in – both financially and in environmental terms.
Parts of the house are more artwork than building. Textures, timbers and natural materials make it tactile and smooth. Shapes and angles of curved walls and deep, rounded windowsills give it warmth; while nooks and lofts give it a playful aspect. It was all made by hand – by family, friends and skilled craftsmen and women using materials from the site or as local as possible.
In the harsh mountains climate, we are warm in winter thanks to plentiful on-site firewood and the grid-connected PV system, heat pumps and underfloor hydronic heating. In summer the wide eaves, thick strawbale walls and thermal mass of the slab and cob walls keep the house cool and comfortable. The house is energy-neutral over the year.
Designed by MKC building design.
Winner of the BDAA 2017 – Chris Reardon Memorial Award for Residential Sustainable Buildings.
Article written by Verity Campbell and professional photos taken by A Shot Above, Blackheath – see more and read the full article from Sanctuary Issue S44.
Sustainability Features
- Energy efficiency:
- Draught proofing
Efficient lighting
Efficient appliances
- Passive heating cooling:
- Cross ventilation
Passive solar designed home
Thermal mass
- Active heating cooling:
- Ceiling fans
Heat pump
Hydronic
- Water heating:
- Hot water heat pump
- Water harvesting and saving features:
- Rainwater storage - Above ground
Low flow shower heads
Low flow taps
- Above ground rainwater storage Type:
- tank
- Above ground rainwater storage Size
- 75,000L
- Energy Efficient Lighting
- LED lights throughout
Natural daylight
- Window Protection:
- Blinds
- Sustainable materials:
- Timber framing from trees felled, cut and milled on-site. Site soil for cob, site rock for landscaping. On-site concrete made with site soil.
- Recycled and reused materials:
- Aggregate
Tyres
- Insulation Type:
- Under-roof
Internal walls
External walls
- Under Roof Insulation Type:
- Spray foam
- Under Roof Insulation Rating:
- R4.0
- Internal Walls Insulation Type:
- Bulk – polyester
- External Walls Type:
- Straw (stawbale walls)
- All-Electric Home?
- Yes
- Renewable energy used:
- Solar PV grid connect
- Size of PV system:
- 4.7kW
- Total cost of home when constructed:
- $450,000
- House Size
- 300m2
- BAL Rating
- BAL – 29: Increasing levels of ember attack and ignition of debris with a heat flux of up to 29kW/m2
- Roof
- Metal (Colorbond)
- Wall Materials
- Cob construction
Earthwall
Strawbale
Tyres
- Wall Materials
- Recycled tyres rammed with earth
- Window and Door Types
- Clerestory windows
Double glazing
Tilt and turn
- Universal design accessability
- Adaptive design
- Number of bedrooms
- 4
- Number of bathrooms
- 3
- Garden / Outdoors
- Composting
Edible garden
Native plants
- Waste Reduction Practices:
- Compost all food scraps
- Healthy home features
- Cross flow ventilation
Indoor plants for air filtration
Lime render/wash
Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
Natural light and ventilation
Natural oil sealer/finishes
- Housing Type:
- Standalone House
- Project Type:
- New Build
- Builder
- Owner-builder
- Designer
- MKC building design
Ask questions about this house
Load More Comments