Sustainable House Day is on Sunday, May 4. Electrify 2800 member’s Mark and Ceri Cameron’s ‘Live Lightly Haus’ is one of 230 featured properties around the country.
Mark and Ceri bought their property with a 1940’s two-bedroom cottage on the block. It was clad in asbestos that was deteriorating and beyond repair. Though charming, it was freezing in Winter. They had a decision to make: demolish it or renovate?
Ceri had heard of the passiv haus (or passive house) concept: an approach to building ultra-efficient, healthier and sustainable housing that originated in Germany in the 1980s. It works with the natural environment, rather than relying on external systems.
The couple understood how the investment in a passive restoration could not only restore the property, but future proof it too.
“It just made sense! Why heat the air in a building; when it just leaks out as readily? This made the idea of putting solar panels on the cottage [to offset the cottage’s high electricity bills] seem wasteful, as it wasn’t solving the problem.
Every design consideration has been about trying to extend the life of the building. From products that have enhanced the efficiency of the building, livability and accessibility to an aesthetic that uses less trendy items and has timeless appeal.”
Design and modelling were completed by Andy Marlow and his team at Envirotecture and Passivhaus Design & Construct, local builder Steve Grabham, of Paradigm Passivhaus was recently passiv haus certified, and the cottage became his first project.
The asbestos was removed by a local company in October 2023, and Steve started the project in February 2024.
Original internal walls plastered with horsehair and the decorative plaster ceilings were retained but a full external upgrade was required. The asbestos cladding has been replaced by membranes, pro-clima tape, insulation and final cladding. The original single glazed windows have been replaced by triple glazed panes. The cottage had the benefit of solar passive aspects (orientation/aspect), and this was a major consideration in the cottage’s final layout.
“If you think it is an expensive option, you are not entirely wrong but you are wrong to think it won’t be worth it for the life of the building.
I miss a fireplace, but the pang soon disappears when I think of having a wood pile, and the time that you need to nurse a fire. I also miss hearing the birds, but I can just open the window or sit on the deck.
Insulation needs to be seen as sexy and vital and a trade in itself.”
Given the varied temperature and conditions in the Orange area, the passiv haus concept is one to think about. Orange Library has available for loan a ‘Save Power Kit’, which includes thermometers to check for draughts and points of energy loss. Identifying and blocking draughts is a first step to improve home comfort and reduce energy bills.
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