H1 HOUSE WOOLOOWIN REDDOG ARCHITECTS
‘The Brisbane suburb of Wooloowin is an area characterised by Queenslanders with sprawling verandas, picket fences, 1900’s style shopfronts and tree-lined streets. It’s a lovely suburb but not one traditionally associated with edgy, modern architecture. It’s in this suburb, however, that the owner /architect and his wife have built a sustainable and contemporary home that perfectly complements the landscape around it.’ Green Magazine – December – February 2008
Owners: Paul Worroll / Leisa Sinclair
Address: 69 Kedron Park Road, Wooloowin
Design: The H1 House seeks to breakdown the confines of a tight city block by promoting the concept of shared green space – the interrelation of and visual relationship between the house’s living spaces, and the adjacent green space of neighbouring blocks. The approved developed application for this house includes the development of the adjacent block as part of a dual site approach whereby the proposed neighbouring house implements and reinforces the ideas. The proposed second house is almost a mirror image of the H1 house, whereby a shared green space evolves between the two dwellings. The house was conceived as a long, low pavilion hovering above the ground plane, stretching from the street front to the rear boundary. Inverting a typical Queenslander arrangement, the house draws its circulation to the perimeter and unravels living spaces across the length of the site in a slender planning arrangement that promotes cross ventilation and natural day-lighting.
The design strategy inverts the usual approach to dealing with visual relationships between the internal spaces of dwelling and public and private open spaces that lay beyond and within the site boundaries by designing for comfortable living, a house, by necessity, becomes one that is climate responsive.
Expansive glazing and openings to the southern façade allows not only optimal day-lighting, ventilation and outlook but further creates a strong visual relationship and dialogue with the street and the living and circulation spaces of the dwelling. There is a large external curtain to the front deck to control the level and circulation spaces of the dwelling.
Large openings and a narrow planning arrangement – generally the house is only one room deep – is conducive to cross ventilation, while manually operable louvres allow the occupants to control the relative levels of air movement. High ceilings and high level openings encourage air movement in living spaces. Living areas have been positioned facing south to maximise problems with direct sunlight in summer. Along the north wall are the ‘light boxes’ – louvered windows – which protrude into the living spaces and provide a good source of winter light. Glazing is located to provide appropriate levels of day-lighting while avoiding unwanted solar gain.
Openings are further protected by sun shading. The West and East elevations, are those with the most minimal of face area and are protected by deep overhangs to the front and back decks and the carport roof to the street frontage. Light coloured external claddings and appropriate insulation further promote good thermal performance. The raised floor also allows the building to tread lightly, minimising the impact of site works.
Unique Sustainable Features
The house has been designed using passive design principles and considerable attention has been paid to maximising the natural flow of air through its open spaces. Externally the use of an outdoor curtain provides sun protection and privacy for the owners.
• Energy Assessment Summary: NatHERS simulation program V2.32 - 3.5 Stars
Note: Subsequent to this energy assessment a number of items have further been added to the house which would improve the energy rating. This includes the following:
• awning to the full length of the southern side of the house
• external curtain to the southern deck facing the street
• solar control film to sliding doors facing east and west
• grid connected solar system
Materials / External Walls / Internal Walls
• James Hardie Hardiflex painted + Carter Holt Harvey Texture 2000 (Plywood) – painted. Paint finishes – Dulux Weathershield x10 low sheen acrylic
• Insulation Solutions ‘Sisalation wall wrap + R1.5 Pink Wall Batts’
• Pipework insulation (sub-floor) Armacell Australia ‘Armaflex’ (a highly flexible, closed cell, CFC free, Australian made pipe insulation.
• External Curtain to south-west facing deck – PVC coated fabric curtain
Roof Insulation
• Roof insulation and sarking Insulation Solutions R1.0 Permastop 436 (Insulation Blanket)
• Roof sheeting Custom orb zincalume finish
Polycarbonate sheeting (awning and Carport)
Floor
• Internal and external flooring Ironbark finished with Feast Watson Alcathane High Solids Satin Clear
Window Treatments
• Glazing Suntone film to east and west facing sliding doors
Solar or Wind Power Generation / Water Heating / Water Supply
On the roof nine photovoltaic cells – Sharp panels with a Conergy Sun Energy grid connect kit and a 2KW Fronius Inverter (approximately 1.5KW system). Excess power is fed back into the grid.
Electricity Solar Electricity System (grid connected)
9No. x 167 Watt Sharp Panels (NE-Q7E3E)
Conergy Sun Energy Grid Connect Kit
Fronius (IG20) Inverter
Water supply (internal) Town water
Pipes insulation adapted to hot water supply pipes
Hot water system (gas) Bosch 21E gas hot water system
21 litres per minute
5 star rating
Heating & Cooling
The home has no air conditioning or ceiling fans as the home is comfortable all year round.
Appliances
• Cooking (bbq & stove) Natural gas
• Oven Bosch HBN 4 350 AU Multi Function Oven
2.9KW connected load
• Refrigerator JennAir JCB-20
596 litres
4 star energy efficiency rating
• Washing machine Kleenmaid front loader KFL1600
6.5kg 2.3KW
Water rating 52 litres/wash
4.5 star rating
• Dishwasher Smeg SA614
3.5 star energy efficiency rating
3 star water rating
• Shower roses Hans Grohe Croma 3 Jet Unica S Flow Restrictor Set
7.4 litres per minute
3 star water rating
• Sink/Basin Mixers Teknobili OZ T2
• Toilets Leda 2000 Water Wafer Smartflush Toilet Suite
4.5L/3L dual flush
4 star water rating
Special Garden Features / Water Harvesting Systems
The house has been built slightly raised off the ground to cater for water run-off on the site, which is a designated overland flow path. The cavity underneath the home also gave room for a 6000-litre water tank. The water it holds nourishes their verdant garden where herbs, passionfruit, lime trees, chilli and an olive tree all flourish alongside the worm farm that provides them with nutrients.
• Polyworld 6000L Polyethythene rainwater tank
• Rainbird / Ein-dor sprinklers (automatic) system
Landscape Items
• Chainwire fences Galvanized steel (unpainted)
• Expanded mesh front gates Galvanised steel (unpainted)
• Landscape walls Face blockwork (unpainted)
• Paving Concrete pavers (off-form)
River rock (to underside of house also)
• Grasspave (driveway)
(September 2009) (
