Rainbow House is a beautiful, 7.9 star, energy and space-efficient, family home. Designed using solar passive principles and NatHERS energy modelling software, the energy performance of the house was modelled at every stage of the design process, and the results were used to inform design and construction decisions.

The house does not have a gas connection. An energy efficient Daikin reverse cycle split system in the living room supplies heating and cooling on those particularly hot and cold days. The kitchen features induction cooking, and a super-efficient Sanden heat pump provides all the hot water needs. There is sealed LED lighting throughout and all exhaust fans have dampers.

High energy efficiency was ensured by combining solar passive principles with a building physics focus on a well-insulated and sealed building envelope. At 7.9 stars, this home is predicted to use 52 per cent less energy for heating and cooling than a 6-star home. With a footprint two thirds (172 square metres) the size of the average new Canberra (256 square metres) home it will actually much less than half the energy of the typical new home in the ACT.

Photography by Ben Wrigley.