Pocket Passiv wins the Sustainable Architecture Award for the AIA NSW 2024 Program
Passivhaus projects are still cleaning up the awards programs around the Nation. The Australian Passivhaus Association would like to extend congratulations to our members Anderson Architecture on winning the Sustainable Architecture Award in the 2024 NSW Awards, for the project certified Passivhaus project - Pocket Passiv!
“I’d like to extend our warmest congratulations to our members at Anderson Architecture for this market leading piece of work.”
“Maximising a smaller footprint to provide a functional, beautiful space is not only critical for the Sydney market, but most importantly for mitigating climate change.”
“This project is packing a significant punch in everything it achieves whilst being a Certified Passivhaus Plus building.”
said APA CEO, Alexia Lidas
Jury Citation: Pocket Passive is a highly effective reimagining of a 27m2 under-utilised patch of land in an inner-city location which is close to amenities and services. The project demonstrates the value of infill housing with an efficient building envelope to deliver a resilient, comfortable and compact dwelling.
Within a constrained envelope that protects solar to a neighbouring garden, Pocket Passiv is carefully configured in relation to context. The two-level building form provides separate sleeping and living space with clever integration of wet areas, storage, and services. It offers balanced natural light and cross ventilation through high performance windows and skylight.
The efficient envelope, all-electrical appliances, solar panels, and heat recovery system achieve an outcome that balances energy generation and use. Pocket Passiv successfully unites the sustainability and architecture aspirations of the client and architect in a compact city dwelling.
Fast facts about this punchy project
Pocket Passiv is Australia's smallest certified Passivhaus at 34 sqm in size.
The project achieves ambitious levels of amenity for its residents all whilst occupying the ‘pocket-sized’ footprint of 27sqm.
Located in Glebe.
Pocket Passiv sits within a relic of Sydney’s 19th century Victorian terrace house boom.
The dwelling has been certified to the esteemed Passivhaus 'Plus' Standard for high performance and energy efficient buildings originating from Germany.
Passivhaus 'Plus' acknowledges the building’s ability to generate as much energy as it consumes – ultimately becoming a net zero energy building.
Pocket Passiv successfully achieved an air tightness result of 0.52 air changes, and an annual heating and cooling load well below 15kWh/(m2a). The overall success of adopting such building construction methods means that theoretically a small hair dryer of 400 watts could heat the entire studio on Sydney’s coldest winter days.
A life cycle assessment determined the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of Pocket Passiv to be 4kg of CO2/m2/year over a 50 year lifespan, which easily surpasses the exemplar standards of Denmark that require all new buildings to achieve a GWP of no greater than 12kg of CO2/m2/year.
What did the client think?
We are thrilled. Our electricity bill for the last quarter was $50! And that was over summer! - CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
Engineer · Partridge Engineers
Country · Gadigal
Project Completion · 2023
Builder · Mindful Building
Engineer · Partridge Engineers
Photography · Tom Ferguson
Architect and Passivhaus Designer - Anderson Architecture