Elmslea Avenue House

Architect

Builder

Photographer

Overview

Type

Features

Living Area

Budget at time of build

Year

A screen of native trees and shrubs offer privacy and protection from western heat and sunlight on the solid masonry walls. These walls provide a quietness and stillness not found in light weight houses. The brief provided by the original owners was to provide a bush garden oasis, cool, calm and cave like to promote a feeling of splendid isolation, a retreat and a place to contemplate nature.

Ideal for country living, this graceful energy efficient home features large open plan Family / Kitchen / Dining / Living area and study and bedrooms to the north and bathrooms, laundry and service areas to the south. Our solid highly insulated Thermal Panels provide a sense of warmth, stillness and security. Shading, ventilation and shutters to the north control summer heat gain and thermal mass, glazing, breezeways and insulation help maintain an ambient 18- 25 degrees all year round even in the coldest of winters with very little supplementary heating.

• Structurally, the building has a precast internal shell with high levels of insulation and some brick veneer cladding to various elements .The additional levels of thermal mass, insulation and glazing ensure this house requires minimal heating in winter and cooling in summer achieved through good cross ventilation.An articulated floor plan follows the contours of the earth and provides visual privacy.
• Each room opens to another allowing no clear view straight through, rather a delight of discovery as you move through the house. Each room reveals surprising new views to the next and to outside. Living areas to the north and service areas to the south maximise the quality of living space. Heat gain in summer is controlled by shading , ventilation and shutters to the north, thermal mass and insulation helping maintain an ambient 20 -24 degrees all year round.The entry captures light and air using a two storey void to create an atrium with stairs to an open plan studio space offering wonderful views and light.
• Corrugated steel internal linings accentuate the curved walls and add a playful tribute to vernacular Australian design and rural sheds. Central to the house is the ‘Grand ‘ room, the open plan living, kitchen and dining area with high vaulted ceiling and additional thermal mass in the form of internal nib blade walls and central solid brick chimney to collect, store and release heat overnight in winter. Dark tiles collect additional heat and reduce the glare caused by plentiful winter sun streaming through the expanses of northern glazing. Openings above central doors push warm air from the fire through to the eastern and western wings in winter.

• This climatically appropriate design has been integrated into its site, microclimate and environment and the recent owners have given it a facelift and sensitively adjusted to meet their needs maintaining the integrity and character of the house.
  

  SOLAR HOUSE DAY LECTURE AND EXPO – 14 August 2013 How to build a climate appropriate house in Canberra “Lessons from the past -information for the future”

  SOLAR HOUSE DAY TOUR – 18 August
  “Come join us on a road trip to view some of Canberra’s
  best solar houses from the past and the present”

  30 years after it was initiated in the ACT in 1983, the Institute is returning to a mid-winter Solar House Day to celebrate and demonstrate the work of local architects and their climate-appropriate and energy efficient housing for the Canberra region.

• Solar House Day will feature architect’s contributions to the development of energy efficient passive solar and sustainable house design that responds to its climatic environment.
• We welcome members of the public to attend the lecture and tours for more detail visit www.architecture.com.au