Passive Design Architects

Passive solar design for a ‘sunburnt country’

Passive solar design is a cornerstone of our sustainable architectural approach and important when you live in a country colloquially known as the ‘sunburnt country’.

We strategically orient our home designs, using features of the landscape, positioning windows, selecting appropriate materials and designing for sun protection, such as overhangs and shades. In this way we can maximise your light and warmth in the winter and shade in the summer, giving you a home that is economically and environmentally resilient.

We also design rooms that allow you to take full advantage of the different seasons in your home. For example, a verandah to capture morning sun in winter, or an alfresco dining area that grabs northern light for lazy afternoons in the garden.

By thoughtfully incorporating passive solar design, the comfort and liveability of your home works with the building rather than against it, making homes that have an inherent sense of belonging. These comfort improvements contribute significantly to both energy and cost savings.

The benefits of passive design

Passive design is about more than just energy savings – it’s about creating spaces that feel right while embracing modern, sustainable design principles. By considering factors like orientation, insulation and ventilation, we can design homes that reduce your reliance on expensive and energy-consuming systems.

Benefits

• Energy savings compared to conventional buildings

• Enhanced thermal comfort with stable indoor temperatures through natural means

• Improved air quality with natural ventilation and heat recovery systems

• Significant cost savings

• Lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced carbon footprint

• Increased property value and higher resale values

• Reduced maintenance costs and requirements

• Maximise natural light reducing the need for artificial lighting

• More resilience to power outages and extreme weather events

Design-first sustainability

Sustainability matters, but so does a home that feels good to live in. Our approach integrates passive design principles seamlessly into the architectural process. This ensures that sustainability enhances, rather than compromises, the beauty and functionality of your home.

House Full of Light

Located in Cronulla on a narrow, south-facing block, House Full of Light was a response to a complex brief. We were tasked with creating a family home that felt open and sunlit, despite the challenging site conditions.

The solution lay in careful planning and the implementation of passive design. Removing a partially sunken garage made way for a light-filled rumpus room directly connected to the comings and goings of the street. A central courtyard was designed to bring both natural light and airflow into the heart of the home. Double-height spaces act as light wells, and an all-white interior palette reflects daylight throughout the home.

Our team ensured that every window, every skylight and every material used was constructed to maximise brightness and airflow. In the end, House Full of Light is a home tuned to its climate and orientation, balancing openness with intimacy, and offering its occupants shaded alfresco zones and winter courtyards to enjoy it no matter the season.

Bado Berong

As an industrial-inspired residence that breaks conventions while embracing highly efficient passive design, this home in Sandringham is an exercise of going against the grain. Every element was designed for comfort and efficiency. External walls are framed with thicker than standard timbers which accommodate R4.0 insulation, effectively doubling the usual thermal rating. All the doors and windows feature thermally broken aluminium frames and double glazing, which keeps the home well-insulated year round.

There’s no plasterboard to be found in this home. Instead, the interior is lined with Australian Hoop Pine plywood, E1 particleboard (hand-finished by the client) and prefinished fibre cement – each installed with exposed fixings to allow future access and maintenance.

Externally the palette is raw, local and robust. Besser block walls, charred Australian hardwood cladding and a Zincalume roof. The home is also all-electric with no air conditioning. It relies solely on passive design principles for cooling, including north-facing highlight windows in winter, industrial ceiling fans, cross-ventilation and insulation.

This project proves that performance and beauty can and do exist. And that comfort can be embedded into the very bones of this bold home.

Tiny Haus

At just 32 square metres, stunning Tiny Haus redefines what it means to live well with less. In fact, it is proof that sustainable, family-friendly living doesn’t require size – it just requires good design.

Passive design principles supported by clever spatial design that ensures that every square metre counts, and every element was thoughtfully considered to make the home comfortable and liveable. The triple-storey bunk bed, integrated storage and seamless indoor-outdoor connection transforms a small footprint into a spacious-feeling, light-filled family home. A servery window opens the kitchen to the deck, extending the living space outdoors and allows light and airflow to move between the garden and the indoors.

We used louvre windows to allow for effective cross-ventilation, and orientation and windows and doors to maximise natural light and reduce the need for artificial cooling. The landscape design also includes a veggie garden, which allows the family to feel more self-sufficient and build sustainability into their everyday lives.

Tiny Haus demonstrates how passive design can enable a simpler, more connected life, regardless of the size of the home.