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- Berowra Heights Passive House, Sydney
The Challenge
Nestled in the leafy suburb of Berowra Heights, this innovative home designed by Envirotecture and built by Red Cedar Constructions represents a masterful blend of sustainable design and site-specific architecture.
The clients, John and Prue, sought a home that would maximise the potential of the corner block, characterised by Sydney sandstone just 100 millimetres beneath the soil.
John and Prue wanted to build the home on a single level. Due to the this and the sloping block, a by-product was the ability to create a storage area, a workshop for John and an area for 30KL of rainwater storage under the single level home.
To address the site’s constraints and the clients’ desires, Trent Clark and the Red Cedar Constructions team implemented a Passive House approach, noting the project would reach “premium” Passive House certification. This meant incorporating double-glazed windows, an airtight construction method, and high-performance insulation.
Bondor’s prefabricated insulated SolarSpan® long-spanning roofing panels were a crucial component in achieving this, allowing for complete air-tightness and offering a 4.85 R Value.
The result is a home that not only meets the clients’ functional requirements but also provides exceptional thermal efficiency and a strong connection to the surrounding bush land.
Photos: Jonathan Cohen Photography
The Solution
The completed 4-bedroom home was designed to blend natural materials with a minimalist aesthetic. The home’s skillion roof is a standout feature, with its dramatic, extended lines creating a striking visual impact from the street.
The roof was constructed using 200mm SolarSpan® structural insulated roofing panels, with the entire 300m2 roof installed in just five hours.
Trent said the SolarSpan® panels offered multiple benefits, including high insulation, an almost airtight roof line, and can be installed as fully finished system that doesn’t require painting.
“It’s basically just one large structural insulated panel by Bondor that we just plonked in place,” he said.
“Underneath the eaves, we don’t need to paint it. It’s a fully finished system.”
The design prioritised creating an extremely well-insulated and airtight environment, with Bondor panels playing a crucial role in achieving Passive House standards.
“Because of Bondor, we actually are able to get a really well airtight home because of the fact that it’s just so easy to airtight the actual roof line,” Trent said.
“This home will become an accredited Passive House. We’re probably going to end up at Passive House “Premium”, because it’s such a well-insulated and such an airtight home, with 0.37 ach (air change per hour).”
The extended roof shelters another key feature of the home, an expansive 80m2 spotted gum timber deck that wraps around the home, offering stunning valley views and creating a seamless indoor-outdoor connection.
“You can look over the valley and really enjoy this afternoon here, just with a nice bit of shady Bondor roof over the top of you,” he said.
Manufactured in Australia by Bondor, SolarSpan® is Australia’s leading insulated roofing panel offering long-spans, low pitch and high thermal efficiency.
NOTE: This project a certified Passive House.
