Another win for sustainable housing!
Rear view of the new extension
On 22 October in the 2021 ACT Master Builders Association’s Excellence Awards, we proudly won another award for our sustainability work. This year the gong for the Sustainable Residential Project category went to our gorgeous reno Curtin Reincarnation!
Built by Bespoke Building Services, this ‘old meets new’ home that was originally 2 stars, has been lifted to 7.6 stars. It is predicted to use 41% less energy for heating and cooling than a 6 star home, and 88% less than the original home!
In this project the front part of the original home was retained, including the internal and external walls, ceilings, sub-floor, floorboards and eaves. The existing single brick garage was only partly demolished and then cleverly re-used and integrated into the outdoor entertaining area to provide a privacy buffer from a future development to the east.
During demolition to the rear, existing red bricks, timber rafters, benches, skirting boards and architraves were salvaged and reused where possible, in the construction of a new extension. Salvaged timber from Thor’s Hammer was used as internal flooring, external cladding and decking and to make the beautiful big sliding door between the new dining and living spaces. External cladding products were chosen for their environmental credentials including longevity, durability, naturality and/or low embodied energy.
Energy efficiency in the home has been further improved by the:
exposed and fully insulated (underside and vertical edge) concrete slab in the new living areas that soaks up the northern sun in winter and release the retained heat overnight minimising the need for mechanical heating
high performance double glazed low E uPVC tilt and turn windows installed throughout
high levels of insulation in the ceilings, floors, and external and internal walls
reduced glazing to the west and east, and the inclusion of eaves and deciduous plantings that protect the house from hot summer sun
ceiling fans to bedrooms and living areas that provide the only cooling in the house
inclusion of infrared ceiling panel heaters in bathrooms, induction cooking and a Sanden hot water heat pump
openable windows in every room allowing the occupants to ‘vent’ the air when conditions are suitable.
A new 4000L slimline tank was installed and plumbed to the laundry, toilets and gardens. Water efficient 4 star 4.5/3L dual flush toilets, and 4 and 5 star kitchen and basin mixers were also installed.
You can read and see more of Curtin Reincarnation on our Renovations & Extensions page. There is even a great testimonial written by the clients explaining their journey with us.