Location: Portarlington VIC 3223
House Size: 3BR, 211m2
Average Daily Energy Use: 9.4kWh
Project Type: New Build 2019
Builder/Designer: Topic Builders & Architects
Rammed Earth Builder: Earth Structures
About the house
Annie and John decided to build their “forever” house in Portarlington, a small beautiful coastal town with a very socially supportive community and easy public transport connection to Melbourne. Having moved from a 1920s Californian bungalow in Melbourne, we really appreciate the natural light, integration with the garden, simplicity of design and an evenness of the temperature across day and night. In short, it is just a house that works!
This modern passive solar house has wide eaves over a large North facing deck overlooking the garden. Thermal mass is provided by two feature rammed earth walls and the polished concrete floor. Several architectural choices such as wide eaves, large highlight North windows and aluminium windows impacted the overall star rating.
However the house is very comfortable year round and energy net-positive. Our daily energy usage is equivalent to a one person home. The smart controlled ducted reverse cycle air conditioner enables temperature control in each room. We used the Renew Tankulator tool to calculate the optimum size for the rainwater tank at 7500L.
House image gallery
House information sheets
My Air controller video
Zoominar Recording
Homeowners:
Annie Moller & John Beech
Experts:
Rammed Earth Builder: Robert Brown, Earthstone www.earthstone.com.au
Heating/Cooling Expert: Maurie Britt, The Heat Shop