The design responds to the challenges of replacing a house on a narrow and steep site, within tight planning constraints.
A lower level studio and garage are set into the hillside, with a linear side entry to living areas at ground level to the rear. The limited northern aspect is highlighted with a double height void inside a glazed north wall, with an open corner featuring a mature deciduous tree that dominates the back garden.
An upper storey provides two kids' bedrooms with stunning views and a common creative/study space.
With crane access constrained by powerlines, Habitech's modular wall system allows for the manual lifting of wall panels for the fast erection of the upper levels. A TechPod will connect services to the upper floors and drive the heating, cooling and heat exchanged ventilation of the house.
Latitude 38 was designed for a Zero Emission Housing brief at Cape Paterson EcoVillage, using the Habitech modular design and construction system.
The design draws on solar passive design principles to create light filled north facing living spaces, with a flexible third bedroom/separate living area option. Northern orientation, shading of windows, internal thermal mass and effective cross-ventilation ensure the spaces need a minimum of active heating and cooling.
Latitude 38 design can be comfortably sited on a 12 x 35 metre lot. The design achieves a 7-8 Star energy rating, depending on the quality of window glazing specified. Put simply, this tells us the house is calculated to need around 1/3 of the heating and cooling energy of a typical 5 Star house.