HIGH PERFORMANCE HOUSE

Project Description

The Danish concept of Hygge – a mood of cosiness and comfort, a feeling of wellness and contentment, and experiencing safety, harmony and spontaneous social flow is at the heart of the design for this new home on a subdivided infill section. Energy efficiency, high performance, accessibility and resilience were key requirements in creating an unpretentious, functional and adaptable, home for a couple. The north facing living area has an outlook towards the sheltered, private decking, and established garden. A feature see-through entrance links to the garage. The dining area functions as both an intimate space for two and is expandable for visitors and opens out to a second sheltered outdoor space. A west facing mezzanine with a sea view and a glimpse of the Tararua Foothills offers options for a spare bedroom, home office or quiet sitting area. A skylight filters in north light to both levels. SIP construction forms the wall and roof structure, sitting on a fully insulated QPOD foundation. Timber cladding is recycled grey iron back weatherboards manufactured from retired Australian power poles. Metal roof and wall cladding is aluminium, Both the roof and wall cladding sit over a ventilated cavity using the Pro Clima system. Triple glazed, tilt’n’turn, uPVC windows are rebated behind the cladding providing best thermal performance, weather protection and aesthetic appearance. The mezzanine floor is solid PLT panels and PLT is also incorporated into the stair treads, entrance sliding door, TV unit, bespoke dining table, vanity units and kitchen elements, complemented by clear finish structural steel for the stair structure, balustrade wall capping and dining table frame. The SIP’s OSB board material has been left exposed, providing texture and colour with walls finished in a grey wash and ceilings and feature living room wall painted. Natural concrete plaster features on the stair spine wall, as well as the bathroom and toilet floors and walls. Completing the sustainable ethos for the home the design incoperates: recycled plastic foundation pods, a 6.4 kw photovoltaic solar system, a balanced air ventilation system with heat recovery, a 10,000-litre underground water storage tank, highly rated tapware, plumbing ware and appliances and a repurposed ship fitting as the dining room light.