Abbetthaus Passive House
Description: In Progress - Passive House Standard
Building Type: Detached single family house
Location: Scarborough, WA 6019
Number of Apartments/Units: 1
Treated Floor Area According to PHPP: 170m2
Construction Type: Timber frame
Year of Construction: 2018
Description
Located on a pocket-sized laneway block in a coastal Perth suburb, Abbetthaus was designed for a young couple with flexibility in mind. This compact yet spacious home blurs the lines between interior and exterior spaces, in a design that prioritises comfort and sustainability.
Abbetthaus is just the second certified Passive House in Western Australia, and the first to demonstrate that a home built to this global standard can be delivered on a modest budget.
Designed by architect Ben Caine of Leanhaus, the 2-bed plus study, 2 bathroom house incorporates Passive House essentials, such as extra insulation, airtight construction and high performance windows. These make it comfortable and healthy all year round, without the need for any additional cooling or heating.
Caine opted for atypical construction methods to create a building skin that performs like a thermos, with the added bonus of continuously circulating fresh filtered air from outside. This building envelope retains heat in winter and coolness in summer, resulting in energy savings of around 90%, compared to regular 6-star homes.
More information on the project is available here.
Special Features
The main open plan living area - with floor to ceiling sliding doors – opens to this protected space, which boasts a small but decadent plunge pool. The courtyard is fully enclosed and secure, so that once over the threshold, the home feels both open and private.
Minimalist desert-inspired landscaping - including cactus and succulents - complements the simple Modernist form of the home. A feature venetian plaster wall on the front boundary adds a sense of solidity and provides additional fortification from the public laneway.
Technical Details
HIA Greensmart House
Challenges Faced
This high-performance outcome was requested by Caine’s client, who demanded global best-practice in relation to building comfort and performance, with additional stipulations that the house should be simple, affordable and robust. That wishlist presented Caine with several key challenges, which were further compounded by the small size of the block – it’s just 15m x 14m – and a two-storey high wall overshadowing the northern boundary, making it difficult to achieve good passive solar design.
Caine overcame the latter constraint by installing an open carport in that shaded part of the site. It doubles as a covered outdoor living area and visually extends the depth of the courtyard.
The Design/Build Process
Using lightweight materials for the two-storey house makes this an unusual home by Perth standards, where double-brick construction dominates new builds.
“Timber framing was the obvious solution,” says architect Ben Caine. “It provides the best balance of sustainability, speed, and thermal performance.
“Working with the Passive House certifier, builder and client, we developed a timber construction methodology that can achieve the Passive House standard of performance and airtightness for little more than the cost of a typical home,” he says.
“Designing a more compact building form without sacrificing the sense of generosity inside also enabled us to achieve cost savings, which freed up parts of the budget for the high performance glazing and ventilation system.”
Project Members
Architect: Leanhaus
Builder: Chris Evans, Passiv Building Co.
Structural Engineer: John Velios, Total Structural Solutions
Project Manager/Owner: Jason Edmiston
Interior Designer: Lara Staunton. LAHAUS Creative Studio
Landscape Design: Mon Palmer, Slightly Garden Obsessed
Passivhaus Certifier: Clare Parry, Grün Consulting
Project Partners
Living Edge
Addicted to Audio
Finishes and Materials
Rehau Geneo uPVC Windows with High Performance Double Glazing
Bolzano Sandstone Crazy Paving from Eco Outdoor
Engineered Oak from Woodpecker Flooring
Iron Ash Timber Cladding by Sustainable Hardwoods
Zehnder Heat Recovery Ventilation System
Stiebel Eltron Heat Pump Hot Water Unit.
Major Suppliers
Kantili Tiles
Phoenix Tapware
Chuditch Carpentry
Woodpecker Flooring
Control4
Eco Outdoor
Retreat Design
Laminex
James Hardie
Worldwide Timber Traders
Brightgreen
Fantech
Legrand
Pro Clima
Thermal Envelope
Exterior Wall: Cladding over vented cavity, Solitex 0.000 50 Stud frame, insulated 0.036 Timber stud 0.150 90 Intello 0.000 0 Service cavity, uninsulated 0.217 Timber stud 0.150 40 USG Fiberock 0.170 13
U-value: 0.402 W/(m2K)
Roof: metal deck roof with R10 bulk insulation
Glazing: U g-value = 1 W/(m2K)
G -value: 30 %
Frame: Rehau, Geneo Passive House
Basement floor / floor slab: Concrete , with reo 2.100 150 Insulation 0.021 0
Roof: Colourbond roof sheeting 50.000 10 Reflective cavity (Kingspan Aircell Glareshield, 0.03/0.05) 0.030 50 Timber framing, insulated 0.054 Timber 0.150 150 Intello 0.000 0 Plasterboard 0.170 13
U-value: 0.227 W/(m2K)
Mechanical Systems
Ventilation: Zehnder, ComfoAir Q450 ERV
Domestic hot water: Stiebel Eltron WWK 302
PHPP Values
Climate: Warm, temperate
Air Tightness: n50 = 0.59/h
Annual Heating Demand: 1 kWh /(m2a ) calculated according to PHPP
Heating Load: 13 W/m2
PE demand (non-renewable Primary Energy): 64 kWh /(m2a ) on heating installation, domestic hot water, household electricity and auxiliary electricity calculated according to PHPP
PER demand (renewable Primary Energy): 29 kWh /(m2a ) on heating installation, domestic hot water, household electricity and auxiliary electricity calculated according to PHPP