Sustainable House Day, Adelaide, SA

Inner city heritage listed sustainable house. It shows the energy efficient transformation of an 1877 cottage through additions & alterations. Sun and rainwater are “harvested” and used in combination with thermal mass for heating and more.

New or Retro: Alterations and additions
Architect: John Maitland – Energy Architecture

Unique Sustainable Elements featured in this home

Water Harvesting, Use & Reuse
Underground “crate & bag” (Ausdrain) rainwater tank, 16,300 litres, plumbed throughout. Modelling shows 93% rain water use in whole of house for 3 of us. Underground grey water collection tank, 600 litres; approval pending for treated Grey water will stored in 2000 litre tank for reuse (irrigation, toilet flushing, washing machine).  
Separate pumps operate for delivering rainwater and treated grey water. A third pump, connected to a timer switch loops hot water to the kitchen tap as needed.

External walls
Walls of the extension are insulated thermal mass walls.
The insulating layer/formwork is made from Quick ‘n Tuff recycled polystyrene sheets, backed by Protherm insulating double foil layers.
External cladding varies according to the wall’s exposure to sun and weather. The west facing wall has an external layer of cladding (Colorbond by Fielders) with an air gap ventilating section between it and the foil, whereas the south wall air gap is not ventilated.

Internal Walls
Internal wall surfaces vary between cement render, Gyprock sound check, & stone.
In addition to the external walls with internal thermal mass, there is a recycled cobble stone wall separating bedroom and Living area (huge thermal mass and acoustic separation).
The extension ceiling is clad with perforated plasterboard for acoustic benefit.

Roof
The heavily insulated 15° roof of the extension opens to northern sunlight; provides large rainwater catchment area and carries high clerestory windows for additional sunlight & evacuation of heat.  

Heating & Cooling
Gas boosted solar hydronic in floor heating in all concrete floors, and with hydronic radiator panels where timber floors (2 rooms and passage)
Cooling is achieved through ventilation, with both horizontal cross ventilation and “vertical stack ventilation” working in conjunction with thermal mass to naturally cool. Under floor and underground Cool Pipes bring cool air into each room through low level vents. The cool air is drawn into the rooms as hot air is leaving through the high level vents. Substantial external moveable shading prevents direct solar radiation onto windows, pavers and walls.

Water Heating
90 Apricus Evacuated Solar Tubes for water heating

Other
Space is at a premium in this city location, and so vegetables and herbs are grown in a “vertical veggie patch”.
All timbers in roof construction, wall, window and door framing, and joinery bench tops are recycled Oregon.  Walls are painted with low & no VOC paint