Brunswick Lane Solar House

The Brunswick Solar House is a compact sustainable and flexible house on a tiny urban site of 121m². It is situated in the sub-divided backyard of a heritage house and fronts onto a bluestone lane.

It is a compact 2 bedroom house with a footprint of 77m². The ‘upside-down’ design places the bedrooms on the ground floor where the thermal mass and high performance insulation provide a bunker-like sleeping environment. The open plan living area on the first floor benefits from excellent passive solar gain, cross ventilation and from borrowed views of neighbouring trees and sky.

The form of the building grows to the north–facing lane to maximize sun penetration for passive heating. A clerestory window of glass louvres pops up to the south to catch cooling southerly breezes. This pop-up roof is pitched at 22.5° - the optimum angle for mounting the solar panels and solar hot water system.

With low electricity lighting and appliances the house produces all of its electricity.

Rain water is harvested and used in laundry and toilet flushing. Grey water from the laundry is re-used in the garden. With water efficient appliances and fittings the occupants of the house only use 75L/day each.

ESD Principles, Materials and Technology

• Orientation for passive solar gain
• Clerestory windows in pop-up roof provide cooling breezes from south
• Two storey stair void acts as a thermal chimney to remove heat via stack effect
• Grey water recycling from laundry to small 30m² garden
• Fixed and adjustable external shading to windows
• Privacy screen louvres allow Winter sun to penetrate whilst blocking Summer sun
• High-performance thermal insulation including hebel wall panels and double glazing
• Thermal mass provided in ground floor slab on ground
• Radially sawn sustainably harvested timber used for cladding, flooring and fencing
• Recycled doors and windows
• 1.4 kwh solar photovoltaic array provides more electricity than the house uses
• Evacuated tube Solar hot water system
• Solarventi space heater
• Selection of low energy lighting, appliances and fittings and fixtures
• Selection of low water appliances and fittings and fixtures
• Rainwater harvesting in 4,500L tanks for use in toilet and laundry