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Architects: Spacecraft Architects
- Area: 81 m²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:David Straight
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Manufacturers: HARDIFLEX, LT7, SHIPLAP CLADDING
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Lead Architects: Tim Gittos, Caroline Robertson
Text description provided by the architects. The courtyard form of the house is driven by the constant wind in Wellington and the desire to shelter an area of outdoor space to open into. The house is totally blank and highly insulated to all exterior walls with the exception of the north face which lets winter sun in onto an insulated concrete slab for passive solar heating. All rooms in the house open onto the central courtyard which offers daylight and natural ventilation.
The house sits on a thermally broken natural concrete slab and has thicker wall framing for increased levels of thermal insulation. The blank exterior faces of the house are generally clad in economical and fireproof fiber-cement sheets while the court-facing walls are clad in locally sourced untreated Heart Macrocarpa. Exterior screens/roof of corrugated polycarbonate sheet protect the court from the wind while allowing the sun through into the garden.
Windows are powder-coated aluminum with clear double glazed units allround. Opening the skylight to the bathroom provides easy ventilation for steam. Glazing is oriented north and west for the winter sun to warm the house. Natural ventilation removes the need for artificial cooling as all rooms of the house have large doors to the protected courtyard.
In winter the living room and bedroom concrete slabs receive plenty of direct sunlight which is captured by the high levels of insulation in the slab. There is a very small combustion wood fireplace in the living room which doubles as a stove in winter. Hot water is provided by an instant gas system which is located within 1m of plumbing fixtures it serves. The house uses low-energy LED lighting with ceramic light shades by the architects.
