A Remodel That Puts Sustainability Front and Center
An architect helps an Australian couple outfit their century-old home with energy-efficient design and technology
Rebecca Gross
September 14, 2020
Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design, and I study cultural history through the lens of architecture, design and visual culture. I have a Masters in the History of Decorative Arts and Design from Parsons The New School for Design, New York. My latest book is called "Ornament is not a crime: Contemporary Interiors with a postmodern twist."
Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design,... More
Leanne and Scott Thompson are passionate about sustainability. The couple has set out to show, through architecture and education, how it’s possible to live well without damaging the planet. They engaged Altereco Design to renovate their 100-year-old worker’s cottage in Melbourne, Australia, and created a sustainable home and education space for those who want to learn about leading an environmentally conscious life.
“For years we did our part to live sustainably,” Leanne says. “There was satisfaction in doing the right thing, but [also] ongoing compromise and guilt. You can shop sustainably but have fewer food options and less convenient store locations. You can live in a smaller house, turn off the lights, run the heating and air conditioning less, drive less and buy less clothing. We saw a similar trend in sustainable housing. Many green homes were focused on efficiency and environmental impact, while ignoring many aspects that have the potential to make a sustainable home desirable to the mainstream.”
“For years we did our part to live sustainably,” Leanne says. “There was satisfaction in doing the right thing, but [also] ongoing compromise and guilt. You can shop sustainably but have fewer food options and less convenient store locations. You can live in a smaller house, turn off the lights, run the heating and air conditioning less, drive less and buy less clothing. We saw a similar trend in sustainable housing. Many green homes were focused on efficiency and environmental impact, while ignoring many aspects that have the potential to make a sustainable home desirable to the mainstream.”
Photos by Nikole Ramsay
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Leanne and Scott Thompson, a business consultant and schoolteacher, and their young daughter, Georgie
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Size: 1,076 square feet (100 square meters); two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architect: Altereco Design
The Thompsons wanted to maximize the existing footprint of their century-old cottage. “They preferred to make use of the existing house to meet their needs, rather than have the biggest house they can fit on the block,” says James Goodlet of Altereco Design.
Once planning got underway, Altereco discovered the original house was built more than 3 feet onto neighboring properties, so they could only upgrade the house up to the boundary. “For anything ‘over the boundary’ we could only be seen to do repairs and restoration,” Goodlet says.
The original frontage has been restored to retain the charm of the streetscape, and the original bluestone foundations and paving were reused for all front paving. The bullnose roof over the veranda protects the south-facing windows.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Leanne and Scott Thompson, a business consultant and schoolteacher, and their young daughter, Georgie
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Size: 1,076 square feet (100 square meters); two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architect: Altereco Design
The Thompsons wanted to maximize the existing footprint of their century-old cottage. “They preferred to make use of the existing house to meet their needs, rather than have the biggest house they can fit on the block,” says James Goodlet of Altereco Design.
Once planning got underway, Altereco discovered the original house was built more than 3 feet onto neighboring properties, so they could only upgrade the house up to the boundary. “For anything ‘over the boundary’ we could only be seen to do repairs and restoration,” Goodlet says.
The original frontage has been restored to retain the charm of the streetscape, and the original bluestone foundations and paving were reused for all front paving. The bullnose roof over the veranda protects the south-facing windows.
The house is configured with south-facing bedrooms in front and north-facing living spaces in back. (In Australia, south-facing rooms are cooler and north-facing rooms warmer.) The renovation included the addition of the open-plan kitchen, dining and living areas — which have a green roof on top — as well as the master bedroom en suite.
Inspired by green technology and design, the Thompsons are promoting a new understanding of environmentally friendly living that showcases how a sustainable home can excel in style, performance and technology.
“It is a good example of how comfortable and livable a compact space can be,” Goodlet says. “We enjoyed getting our teeth stuck into a truly green, sustainable design.”
Inspired by green technology and design, the Thompsons are promoting a new understanding of environmentally friendly living that showcases how a sustainable home can excel in style, performance and technology.
“It is a good example of how comfortable and livable a compact space can be,” Goodlet says. “We enjoyed getting our teeth stuck into a truly green, sustainable design.”
The clients and architect wanted to keep as much of the original structure as possible, including the architectural details like the arches and moldings. A sliding pocket door can be closed to separate the living and sleeping areas.
The hallway provides passive cooling and cross ventilation from the front door to the back door. Transom windows bring natural light to the front of the house and help purge hot air for natural ventilation.
The Passive House: What It Is and Why You Should Care
The hallway provides passive cooling and cross ventilation from the front door to the back door. Transom windows bring natural light to the front of the house and help purge hot air for natural ventilation.
The Passive House: What It Is and Why You Should Care
The back of the house has a compact and open kitchen, living space and dining area that extends to the courtyard.
It turned out that Leanne and Scott had unknowingly purchased the home from Scott’s grandmother’s caregiver. As they dismantled the house over the course of a year, they discovered traces of the former owners, including the daughters’ names scratched on the wall.
“It made our desire to retain as much as we could even more important,” Leanne says.
“It made our desire to retain as much as we could even more important,” Leanne says.
“The owners painstakingly removed decayed and dilapidated parts of the house and cleverly identified an opportunity to use the original red brick paving from the backyard as an internal feature wall and an external brick wall,” Goodlet says. The red brick wall provides thermal mass and promotes passive heating, and the insulated concrete slab floor optimizes passive solar gain for heating and cooling.
The kitchen has a functional and efficient layout to optimize the small space. Cantilever Interiors made the kitchen using woodwork, white cabinetry and Eco countertops by Cosentino, manufactured with 75% recycled glass, mirror, porcelain and earthenware. The refrigerator is intentionally small, as Leanne and Scott buy only what they need in an effort to produce little to no waste.
The house is fully electric, with no gas connection. Efficient appliances, such as a dishwasher, washing machine and heat pump, are on electronic timers to take advantage of solar energy.
The wood is local, sustainably sourced and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Wooden beams are both a structural and aesthetic feature in the kitchen, and wood cabinets provide storage for wine bottles, plants and recipe books.
The wood is local, sustainably sourced and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Wooden beams are both a structural and aesthetic feature in the kitchen, and wood cabinets provide storage for wine bottles, plants and recipe books.
The oval dining table nestles into the corner of the room with booth seating and north- and west-facing windows. Double glazing is argon-filled with low-e films in Victorian-ash window frames. The Thompsons also implemented technology to make the house as efficient as possible, including programmable and voice-controlled solutions for active heating and cooling:
- A Tivok Heat Pump with a 110-gallon (415-liter) storage tank supplies hot water and hydronic heating. “It can hold hot water at [140 degrees Fahrenheit] for 24 hours, so it functions as a battery,” Leanne says. “Timers automatically heat water using solar energy during the day for when we use it at nighttime.”
- A smart thermostat with four room sensors controls heating, cooling and fans. It’s automated using geo-location technology and is voice enabled.
- Wall radiators with smart radiator valves are programmable and voice controlled to allow for automated zoning.
- A 5-kilowatt reverse-cycle smart air conditioning unit uses a web service that allows smart devices to work with a voice assistant.
- Smart ceiling fans are programmable and voice activated.
“The clients wanted to maximize opportunities for personal touches and storage,” Goodlet says. The high ceilings and clever carpentry allow for storage in surprising locations, such as the bookshelf above the living area.
Clerestory windows above the bookshelf bring in natural light. Brightgreen canister LEDs ensure no gaps in the insulation, and LED smart lighting is used to create ambient evening light.
Clerestory windows above the bookshelf bring in natural light. Brightgreen canister LEDs ensure no gaps in the insulation, and LED smart lighting is used to create ambient evening light.
Sliding glass doors open the living area to the courtyard, a small and private space sufficient for entertaining. The step between the house and decking serves as additional seating.
Eaves on the north-facing windows protect living areas from summer sun and allow for passive solar gain in winter.
Eaves on the north-facing windows protect living areas from summer sun and allow for passive solar gain in winter.
As an extra step in reducing waste, the Thompsons grow some of their own produce.
A small vegetable garden from the Little Veggie Patch is built at the side of the deck.
The back exterior of the house is clad in robust and economical steel for low-level summer heat absorption. A ladder provides access to the green roof.
The green roof helps insulate the building and is a private space with drought-tolerant plants. “The green roof by Fytogreen affords additional outdoor recreation space, reduces stormwater runoff, provides insulation and cooling, attracts biodiversity and provides opportunities for additional food production on site,” Scott says.
The water-wise plants are native to the western plains of Melbourne. A smart sprinkler controller offers automated water scheduling using preset programs and weather forecasting. It is also voice controlled.
The water-wise plants are native to the western plains of Melbourne. A smart sprinkler controller offers automated water scheduling using preset programs and weather forecasting. It is also voice controlled.
There are 14 solar panels on the roof of the original house, and each produces 320 watts to provide about 4.5 kilowatts of power in total. Five panels face west to take advantage of afternoon sun. The system exports enough solar energy to the community per year to power an average two-bedroom home for six months, Scott says. Their total monthly utilities cost U.S. $32.90 in December during the peak of summer and $150 in July, the peak of winter.
The master bathroom opens onto the garden with the shower and bathtub on a lower level. Recycled-wood rafters are used as a bathroom feature.
The Otis timber and brass shower head by Wood Melbourne conforms to Australia’s maximum three-star water efficiency rating at 2.4 gallons per minute. A 793-gallon water tank is connected to the green roof, garden, toilet and laundry.
Mosey supplied more than 40 indoor plants that have been selected for air filtering to improve indoor air quality and absorb VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, in the air.
The Otis timber and brass shower head by Wood Melbourne conforms to Australia’s maximum three-star water efficiency rating at 2.4 gallons per minute. A 793-gallon water tank is connected to the green roof, garden, toilet and laundry.
Mosey supplied more than 40 indoor plants that have been selected for air filtering to improve indoor air quality and absorb VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, in the air.
“We hope this house inspires discussions about the simple but substantial ways that sustainability can improve a home’s livability, longevity, running costs and architectural value,” Scott says.
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I’m totally inspired! I love this renovation. Just perfect.
Wouldn’t it have been more sustainable to NOT remodel?
Not necessarily, also the remodel improved ALL aspects of the home.