Dusk at Park House

Dusk at Park House

Park House

Living areas are located upstairs to take advantage of the views and northern aspect

Upstairs double glazed windows verandah overlooking the park

To achieve this, the project incorporates all the Passive House principles, including air tightness, insulation, high-quality windows, minimal thermal bridging, and fresh air circulation.

The building envelope is designed to minimise energy losses and heat gain, resulting in lower energy consumption and greater thermal comfort for the owners.

The project also focuses on the use of sustainable materials, with environmentally friendly materials selected wherever possible to minimise the environmental impact of the building. The external materials and colour selections have been inspired by the bark of the eucalyptus trees nearby, creating a design that is not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing.

The landscape design is another important aspect of the project, with native plants selected to enhance biodiversity and create a sustainable ecosystem in the surrounding area.

The aim is to create a building that sits comfortably in its location, making the most of its aspect, orientation, and materials, and connecting people to nature.

The living areas are located on the first floor to maximize the views and northern aspect, while the bedrooms are located on both levels, offering flexibility and privacy. Achieving air tightness is probably the most difficult issue to achieve in Passive House, but the project team has used their extensive knowledge to ensure that this has been achieved.

By embracing a strong bond with nature, we not only learn to appreciate its beauty but also find inspiration in its wonders. This inspiration shines through in the architecture of the building, as it harmoniously blends with the environment.

At Park House, we want to see our building flourish as part of the landscape, and its journey as a living, breathing place comes from the connection of people to their setting.

The external materials colours and texture are inspired by the bark of the eucalyptus trees nearby

Park House

Sun Trajectory – Summer and Winter

Info
Project Leader
Niea Nadya
Contractor
Appetite for Construction – Nick Lightfoot
Landscape
Avantgardener – Jackie McWilliam
Environmental
GRUN Consulting -Clare Parry
Structural & Civil
Quatrefoil – David Hogg
Building Surveyor
REDDO – Glenn Driscoll 
Land Surveyor
Adept Surveys – Jeremy Pearce
Recognition
Shortlist – Houses Awards – New House under 200 square meetings
Commendation – Houses Awards – Sustainability
External view Park House DiMase Architects

The native shrubs and minimal fence blur the lines between private and public space

Bi-fold windows offer unobstructed view of the park

Close up street view, unstained Accoya timber and Krause bricks

Native garden, private deck and verandah

The private garden, downstairs deck and master bedroom

Air transfer system and bi-fold windows of Park House.

Air transfer system and tilt-turn windows of Park House.

Details
Project Type
New House
Completion
2022
Full Architectural Services
Location
Northcote / City of Darebin
Energy Rating
7.1 Stars NATHERS
Low Energy Building Passive House Institute
Photographer
Katya Menshikova & Trevor Mein
Site Area
417m2
Building Area
171.8m2
Client Brief
Entry, Living, Dining & Kitchen, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 1 Laundry, 1 Study, 1 Balcony, 2 Car Spaces (1 undercover)
Main Materials
Accoya Timber, Krause Bricks, Polished Concrete Floors
Notable Suppliers
Paarhammer – Windows & Doors

Owner, Park House 2023

“Without doubt, the house we now have is a great place to live in. Looking out onto the park is a great pleasure, with a view that constantly changes with the season and the house sits within the park without intruding onto the park.”

Continues

“When I approached Antony and his team to design a house for the block of land, he asked the usual question: what was I looking for? I gave him three answers: the first was the rather opaque request to build a house that suited our needs; the second was to make the most of the perspective onto the park while respecting the users of the park; and the third was to build an energy efficient house.

However, it was only after living through the design and build that I realised how much the request for an energy efficient house sat in tension with the other two requests. Much of the commentary and background knowledge around energy efficient houses relates to technical aspects of energy efficiency in cold climates. Thus to ask for large windows to overlook a park in a warm climate creates different design problems to those encountered in cold climates. It is a credit to the DiMase Architects team that they could work with the opaque request to build a house that suited our needs, the lived experience is of a comfortable house that is enjoyable to live in!” – Owner and Client

Park House