Sanctuary Magazine Issue 6 - Newtown, Sydney Sustainable House Profile

Bi-fold doors leading to a rain-fed plunge pool blur the lines between courtyard and living area, while the pool helps regulate the home’s internal climate

A new old Australian 14

A This 21st-century makeover comes wrapped in a period skin By Judy Friedlander

ustralian architectural vernacular has found the perfect urban setting with this cutting-edge sustainable home in Newtown, Sydney. Walk a few blocks south of King Street, with its array of cafes and restaurants, student fashion and book shops, and you are in old Australia – a place of car workshops, 150-year-old pubs, workers’ cottages, Victorian terraces, sandstone churches and stately parks graced with Moreton Bay figs. Right next door to an 1858 hand-hewn sandstone cottage lies this light-on-its-feet home, a prime example of contemporary living that is somehow right at home in its historic surrounds. Old and

new are beautifully paired – a wonderful example of different yet complimentary styles. In deference to the old facades and streetscapes, this home largely conceals its cutting-edge sustainable side. Only the proud, curved Zincalume roof and aluminium alloy frame that rise above the external brick walls inform the interested passerby of innovation within. Architect Stephen Sainsbury says it’s his goal to make ecologically sound buildings that are “luxurious, exciting and beautiful places to live, work and play”. The lightness of the Newtown house is due to the way it cleverly features and

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terrace

library study

bed 1 terrace

ensuite

robe

bath

living / dining

entry

void

landing

bath

bed 2

deck

kitchen

spa pool

courtyard laundry

Ground level

Upper level

One of the most common arguments we have with critics is with the use of aluminium

coherently blends the prefabricated modular, extendable building structure he designed, called the “EcoShelta” pod system, within the original walls. The whole house seems to be a living, breathing entity. Owners Jane Johnson and Brian Murphy were attracted to its “private, secure, yet completely light and airy space”. “It is perfect for entertaining” says Jane. “People who visit love the open feel of the house, the way the inside and outside blend and the pool is almost set in the kitchen”. A welcoming courtyard is at the heart of the L-shaped internal home. Recycled timber and glazed timber folding doors form the downstairs

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level exterior and open onto the courtyard and a rainwater-fed plunge pool. With the wide eaves extending more than a metre over the lower level kitchen and living area, the downstairs doors can remain open even when it is raining. Jane points out how Sainsbury added interest to the square shape of the block with unusual touches, such as a natural plastered curved masonry wall that draws you into the home from the front door, and the multiple curved sail-like roofs. The upstairs balconies are sheltered by adjustable timber louvres made from recycled fence palings and the

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People who visit love the open feel of the house, the way the inside and outside blend and the pool is almost set in the kitchen

A water tank and planter boxes ensure plenty of greenery graces this multi-level house

Bi-fold doors open the upstairs to cooling cross-breezes

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upper walls are clad in corrugated iron, a nod to the Australian vernacular. The upstairs main bedroom can be opened to the elements through bi-folding glazed timber doors. Being located on one of the highest points in Newtown, a refreshing cross-breeze often floats through, and light and sky abound. “In summer, ceiling fans are all we need to regulate the temperature and in winter, the sun comes directly into the bedrooms upstairs and warms them,” Johnson says. “And how many people can see the moon from their bed?”

Sainsbury, who has earned three degrees – a Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Architecture and Masters of Architecture (Research) – has a considered and thorough approach and has no opposition to applying new technologies in the pursuit of sustainability. For the Newtown house he employed a combination of age-old principles and cutting-edge innovations. The pool is located near the bottom of a two and a half storey void. When louvres at the top are opened, the air current passing over the pool is cooled, which in turn helps to cool the house.

In summer, the cantilevered doors of the courtyard are opened to allow the cool of the pool to permeate the house.

“melt” and absorb heat, and when it gets cold they “freeze” and release it. The building’s strong, lightweight aluminium

In-floor, saline phase-change heat store packs

alloy frame that forms the basis of the EcoShelta

maintain a temperature of around 21 degrees

pod system “results in the minimal environmental

through the ability of the saline crystals to absorb

footprint,” says Sainsbury.

or release heat without changing temperature

His choices are determined through the EcoCost

dramatically. Explains Stephen, “The plastic pods

system, developed through his university work and

which incorporate the saline crystals are placed

a Federal government research scholarship which

in the mortar underneath the downstairs floor

establishes environmental cost through balancing

surface.” Essentially, when it gets hot the crystals

factors such as land degradation, toxic outputs,

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A strong, ultra-lightweight aluminium beam supports the roof in the upstairs bedroom

energy consumption and type, transport costs and recycled components. “One of the most common arguments we have with critics is with the use of aluminium,” says Stephen. “The material we use is five times as strong as steel and half the weight, which means we end up using about a quarter the amount of material as steel or a tenth that of timber to do the necessary structural work. For fabrication we use standard low-energy power tools and high-tech, low-energy computerised MIG welding. The alloy requires no finishing or painting, is corrosion-proof and has a long life. It already contains significant recycled material and is easily recycled once its

building life is over. It is light to transport, readily available and we can erect it without the use of heavy machinery.” Insulation at the Newtown home is an Australian sheep’s wool polyester blend. Sheep’s wool has the added benefit of being naturally fire resistant, and the lanolin helps repel pests. No toxic paints, glues or chemicals have been used. “The house works completely differently in winter and summer,” says Jane. “We were always big recyclers, had green energy, a worm farm and a hybrid car, but this sort of house really makes you aware of the seasons – and the weather generally – and how to live with them.”

Designer: Stephen Sainsbury www.ecoshelta.com Builder: Wonders Building Company Location: Newtown, NSW Photography: Tim Wheeler Features: n 325L Solarhart solar hot water n n n n n n n

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TEAP Energy TH29 in-floor saline phase-change heat store packs 4000L Hunter Tanks Zincalume rainwater tank Small in-house rainwater-fed, solarheated pool to help regulate climate Natural stack ventilation with louvred windows and openable walls Ceiling fans Customised greywater system to irrigate garden beds Sheep’s wool polyester blend R3.5 batt insulation in floors, walls and ceilings

n n n n n n n n n

Triple brickwork external walls Recycled bricks and timber Exposed hard-plastered internal walls with no finishes Insulated slab floor with natural 20mm limestone flooring Original recycled floorboards on upper floors Recycled timber window frames and 6.38mm laminated glazing 3-4 WELS-rated water fixtures No glues or toxic materials used in construction Bio Paint ceiling paints 21