New Homes
New passive Solar Home – Hughes/Sullivan Bingie
This home was designed by Architect Stuart Whitelaw (based In Bingie) and built by McNaughton Building in 2009. Featuring solar orientation and eave overhangs, masonry lower level storerooms (polished concrete), suspended concrete slab (polished), recycled timber ceilings and enclosed/insect screened outdoor area. Solar/wetback hot water heating, grid feeding solar panels, double glazed windows and timber built-in wardrobes and bookshelves.
The owners were looking for a design to minimise heating and cooling expenses, and this house maintains a steady year round temperature, handling even the extreme heat of summer and the South Coast’s chilly winters.
A slow combustion wood heater and oven keeps the house warm in winter when the sun doesn’t shine, and it also heats the solar hot water.
Cooling consists only of ceiling fans, plus heat escape louvres in the upper sections of the vaulted ceilings.
Living in Australia often means a love of the outdoors, but summer time can bring the hords of bugs and insects that will drive us mad. Philip and Marjorie’s house has a great solution with an outdoor area fully insect screened, with an orientation to gain winter sun, but exclude summer sun making it usable all year round. With a large opening to the central living area this really brings the outdoors inside, and also deals with a common problem of screening bi-fold doors.
All ceilings and eaves were lined with recycled stringybark lining boards re-milled from old floorboards, supplied by Thor’s Hammer in Canberra. The square section timber posts and beams were supplied by Nullarbour Timbers, milled from re-claimed stringybark logs from an old Queensland farm cleared many years ago. The lining boards were also used to make the built in cupboards in the bedrooms and a bathroom.
The concrete slabs, both downstairs and the suspended upper level were polished and sealed creating a hardwearing, durable , healthy, long-term flooring solution. Black oxide in the concrete mix creates a charcoal colouring for the internal areas and the cantilevered external balcony.
Bathrooms were lined with similar ceiling lining boards, tiled floor to ceiling and floor tiles, with underfloor heating
The new dwelling was attached to an existing shed/studio and a covered main entry created , along with covered car parking. Exposed hardwood rafters continuing the hardwood theme, and connecting to the existing shed verandahs.
Bookshelves from hardwood match the style of house and create huge storage space. Timber from Thor’s Hammer, finished in Oil based Stain-wax and fixed in position.
Cantilevered concrete balconys allow access around building and access to windows for safe cleaning. Handrails being timber capping and posts with galvanised mesh infils.
NEW PASSIVE SOLAR HOME – BINGIE
This home was designed by Stuart Whitelaw for Geoff and Judy Scott, and built by McNaughton Building in Bingie, NSW in 2007. A two story dwelling featuring a masonry lower level, consisting of bedrooms and bathrooms, and a timber framed upper level with master bedroom, kitchen and living areas. Passive solar orientation and eave overhangs allows winter sun into the building and keeps the hot summer sun out. A huge external living area upstairs, and a bridge connecting an existing cottage to the main dwelling.
Concrete floor slab was polished, walls bagged internally and externally for the masonry section. The upper timber framed section lined with timber weatherboards, stained with a silver/grey stain. All doors and windows western red cedar. Internal ceilings lined with limewashed pine lining boards.
Internal stairs were lined with the same flooring board and sanded and sealed as per the floor, which was sealed with a tung oil based sealer.
The external living area is placed between the new dwelling and the existing cottage, on the upper level, allowing cool breezes and views.
A timber framed handrail was made with a galvanised mesh infill.
The area under the external living area is used as car parking, and a timber bridge supports an ironbark deck access to the existing cottage.
NEW PASSIVE SOLAR HOME – ‘Wyambah’ BlackHill NSW
This home was designed by Harkness Architects (Newcastle), and built by McNaughton Building in 1992. Located on a rural property on the outskirts of Newcastle NSW.
Gable roofs, in layers allow light to enter the complete interior of this dwelling. Verandahs front back and to the north allow large under cover areas to be utilized in all seasons.
