Sustainable New Home Design

At McCahon Place the client wanted a warm sunny home, suitable for a home business and to capture the bush and sea views. Living sustainably was a given for them, and so efficient thermal design was a key to this. Solar penetration into the house was important, as enjoying a view from a sunny spot was part of the client’s brief. Window sizes and orientation were considered with some external shades installed to reduce over heating and balance the desire for sunny spaces.

Sufficient insulation along with a well orientated site made achieving good thermal environment easy. A gas fire was installed for a living room feature, and a sustainable way to heat when required. The aesthetics’ of a real flame were important but resourcing a wood burner was not practical.

The house had lovely bush on two sides, and a peak of the Manukau Harbour from the upper floor. The design allowed the occupants to catch a glimpse of these features as they moved around the house, with a private northern deck to further engage with the site.

On this site the client wanted a concrete block base, which is a great durable and low maintenance product. To design sustainably means we need to consider materials, not just their upfront costs but how they will perform and last over time.

It was a large family property with an existing home to the front of the site.  The client didn’t want the new house design to compromise the existing home on the site, but to capture the sun and views available. The site again was well orientated, but verandahs were an important consideration for all year-round use of the outdoor decking areas, and to limit overheating. The house was  future-proofed for accessible living, with wider than normal doors, level entry bathrooms and a lift being installed as part of designing sustainably too.

There was an opportunity to develop two apartments above a new medical centre in Te Atatu South. They were 2.5 bedrooms, both north facing with glimpses of sea and Rangitoto views. Having homes with a small footprint means sustainable use of resources, and with building costs it has become an obvious solution to increase affordability.

The client wanted the apartments to be timeless and with durable materials. Being on the second floor they both have nice sunny decks off their living and master bedrooms, with clear glazed balustrades to maximise the views. Accessibility was important, again a way to ensure homes are sustainable for changes in occupants needs, with wide doors, level entry bathrooms as well as a lift.

The resource consent and building code required that noise from neighbours and general environmental noise were considered in the development of the structure. Insulation was required both for thermal and acoustic comfort, and glazing was modified to control visual and acoustic privacy.

Two couples own a half acre section, which is a lovely bush clad site in the Waitakere Ranges in West Auckland. The site is a 40 degree slope, so almost everything done on site has been a challenge, with six flights of external timber stairs winding their way down the site to access the lower house. The site is also protected by layers of restrictive planning rules. An amendment to an existing resource consent was required, and significant engineering and unique skills to install the foundations.

Both houses are small to enable a cost effective build, and to touch lightly on a protected area of native bush. The lower one is a minor dwelling but has generous north and western facing decks to provide visual extensions to the open plan living area. A free standing wood burner, provides a sustainable way of heating in each home, that will keep them toasty on the limited occasions it is required. The abundance of wind fall timber, enables this method of heating to be good solution.

The houses needed to be low maintenance, to make keeping their durablity sustainable in the long term, with access to the exteriors being more challenging once built. With two separate owners they needed privacy from each other, but wanted to capture the lovely bush views and sunshine on this north western facing ridgeline. Council required them to blend with the bush, and keep in mind the position they hold on a sensitive ridge in this pristine bush area.

The site had no council infrastructure, so using water collected from their roofs means the occupants are very aware of their water usage. It has to be managed sustainably, and dual flush toilets, low flow shower roses are a must, along with washing machines and appliances that consider water usage in their specifications.

The client has purchased a 809sqm section in Hillsborough with the plan to remove the old dwelling and build a new 400sqm home for their family, plus a sympathetic 200sqm rented home at the street front.

The site is a narrow rectangle with the northern side on the long side. Vehicle maneouvering for a large family and privacy from the long southern ROW are important decisions. The house must be spacious both vertically and horizontally, with a contemporary look. With Nu Wall vertical aluminium cladding on the upper floor and Premier brick veneer on the lower it will be also be a low maintenance solution.

The resource and building consent and engineering approvals are now done, and construction is planned for 2024.