Passive House Brisbane was contacted by the owners to evaluate an existing design for PassivHaus compatibility. In that process, the Architect and Client decided that it would be better for us to take over the project and redraw from scratch. The design itself is largely the same as the original, with a complete overhaul of building fabric to remove thermal bridges and conform to Passive House standards.
Atherton sits at 780m above sea level, making it milder than Brisbane in temperature, but not in humidity.
Average ground temps permitted a coupled slab for thermal mass regulation.
The building itself is a fairly typical timber-framed truss roofed design with special attention given to continuity of insulation and airtight membranes. This house achieved a NatHers energy rating of 8.4 stars without needing Queensland concession, and if higher performance windows were chosen, it would meet Passive House Plus certification.
The house also contains a secondary dwelling to provide passive income for the owners, which is situated above the garage of the main house. It also uses Passive House principles.
Private north facing courtyard and entertaining areas will ensure this house is light-filled all year round while remaining completely private to the outside world.
High pitch roofs have been incorporated to comply with Atherton character overlays, and provide the perfect pitch for solar panels and in-roof access to maintain critical systems.
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