Affordability and environmental responsibility are two of the most critical issues facing the building industry today.

Solar Dwellings, a passive solar design company with over 20 years’ experience, located in Western Australia, believes that these challenges can be addressed in a single and comprehensive design approach to create homes that meet all the standards of sustainability, are low-impact and yet within the budget of the broader market. Using the principles of passive solar design is key to achieving these outcomes, says Griff Morris, Director of Solar Dwellings.

Mr Morris says that there has been a significant increase in public interest in passive solar, which has been accompanied by a growing awareness of what passive solar design entails.

“There has been an increase in the public understanding of passive solar, as opposed to active solar. Passive solar design has now become understood as sustainable design coupled with good use of materials, and is now playing a catch-up game with the rest of the building industry.”

Solar Dwellings offers a cost-effective architectural design and construction service, a ‘tailored design’ service, and specialises in home designs for energy and water efficiency, low-allergen and universal access – all within the framework of passive solar design.

Here, Solar Australia takes a look at one of Solar Dwellings’ recent passive solar design contracts undertaken in Fremantle, Western Australia.

The brief

• The clients required a large three-bedroom plus study, two–bathroom contemporary executive home on three levels that was low maintenance, environmentally responsible and could be leased out to families with up to three children, as the clients were frequently posted overseas
• Most importantly, the home had to take advantage of the commanding 180 degree views across Fremantle’s harbour
• The owners also wished to recover and reuse the existing tiled floor from the kitchen of the original building as well as maximise energy and water resources in the new residence.

The importance of capturing the views from the northwest through to the southwest dictated a timber and glass central stairwell whose structure created an air pressure differential between the lower basement floor and the upper floors, promoting air movement in the house in warm to hot conditions even when there is no external breeze. Low-emissivity glazing was utilised for the large expanse of western glass to protect from the excesses of the western afternoon heat.

Also included were environmentally responsible features such as a greywater re-use system, solar hot water and shading protection to the east and west-facing windows, and insulated double brick and single brick internal walls for thermal mass.

To improve on indoor air quality, carpet was avoided; instead ceramic tiles, polished concrete and natural timber flooring were specified. These minimal emitters of volatile organic compounds are easily cleaned and do not provide house dust mites with a suitable habitat. Water-based and low-toxic sealers were used on the timber.