This project, an extension to a modest weatherboard house on a quiet suburban street, is a model of sustainability, with careful consideration given to every aspect from concept to end-of-life. The design aims to reduce the home’s embodied and operational energy, minimize social and biodiversity impacts, and ensure a harmonious integration with its surroundings.

The extension maintains a compact footprint, with below-average site coverage, and is guided by passive solar design principles to optimize solar access, thermal comfort, light, and ventilation. Several innovative environmental sustainability design (ESD) measures enhance the home’s livability. These include a southwest pond that cools air in summer, a winter garden that acts as a thermal buffer for the lounge, and a netted void over the dining space that functions as a thermal chimney—pre-heating upstairs in winter and venting hot air in summer. Internal windows improve natural light distribution and cross-ventilation, while an external timber frame provides shading and light filtration. Elevated planters near windows not only reduce radiant heat in summer but also serve as edible gardens.

The landscape design, crafted with a biodiversity focus, aims to maintain and restore local ecosystems, further enhancing the home’s environmental credentials. The building’s form is compact, with thoughtful material selection to control solar access for neighbors and reduce the urban heat island effect. Materials with low embodied energy, environmental certification, and recyclability were prioritized, and Red List materials were strictly avoided. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) guided these choices to ensure long-term sustainability.

Socially, the design encourages community engagement with an inviting street presence, including an open front and extended verandah. The double-storey rear extension offers curated views of neighboring trees and buildings, with integrated privacy screens, balancing respect for the existing architectural context with a fresh, contemporary aesthetic. This project exemplifies how sustainability can be thoughtfully integrated into suburban housing, enhancing both the environmental and social fabric of the community.

Photography by Tatjana Plitt