This sustainable home design considers your climate zone and maximises thermal comfort

For homeowners in the northern hemisphere, home insulation is a no-brainer. From double-glazed windows to wall and roof insulation, these essential elements keep the house warm.

In Australia’s sub-tropical regions, however, the opposite is needed. For most of the year, a house needs to be cooled, which often results in outrageous energy bills from continually running air conditioners.

Queensland-based sustainable building design firm, ECOMODERN Design, has chosen a subtropical approach to sustainable climate management within a home. Principal ECOMODERN Designer, Anthony Wynne-Hoelscher, explains they apply the same principles of construction and orientation that are used for houses in cold climates for a warm climate.

The trick is to take advantage of climatic features such as sun and cooling breezes. Shading reduces summer temperatures and saves energy. Passive cooling through breezeways combined with clerestory windows creates thermal updrafts to draw out heat. The designer also ensures that all insulative elements perform as the manufacturer intended and that all glazing elements protect from the extremes of heat and cold while reducing power consumption.

ECOMODERN Design’s approach starts with calculating what the average usage and energy consumption of a home is likely to be. Next comes the design of the solar system that matches these requirements. As the system constantly feeds excess power into the grid, power bills will be reduced significantly, and in bad weather events, the grid will deliver the power for the home.

For those who haven't got power running to their property, Anthony recommends going completely off-grid. Off-grid homes are totally self-sustaining. They have UV solar panels with battery storage and a back-up generator in case it’s needed.

“We believe that design, price, energy efficiency and quality are not mutually exclusive. With careful design, we create homes that offer a healthy lifestyle combined with reduced energy bills,” says Anthony.

Set within a leafy Brisbane suburb on a challenging sloping site, Fig Tree Pocket House is a family home that captures light and air with separate wings for family and entertaining.

The brief was to design an executive residence that is sun-filled, provides space to entertain guests and offers dedicated living, studying and work zones for the owners and their teenage children.

ECOMODERN Design installed a 10kW solar photovoltaic connection and focused on passive thermal energy management, incorporating ventricular passageways and glazing elements that move cool air through the home and allow it to ‘breathe’. A pool in the internal courtyard allows air to be cooled and then drawn into the homes as it passes over the pool surface.

Rainbow Beach House is a flexible and sun-filled beach house taking advantage of its northerly aspect, with liveability at its core.

Additionally to the passive thermal management design elements, bespoke battened, stackable panels lined with clear polycarbonate reveal an internal “verandah” that can be fully opened up or closed down with full weather sealing, thus providing additional living space. The outdoor gazebo is accessible through a covered walkway.

Eerwah Vale Retreat is a modern “pod-style” master retreat with a focus on passive climate management. It is situated away from the main dwelling and offers space for private entertaining. The building is solar PV connected and has a 7-star NatHERS rating.

“NatHERS is the only globally recognised green certification for housing and much harder to receive than other certifications. But it testifies that the house is properly insulated,” explains Anthony.

More from ECOMODERN Design on ArchiPro.