Design Philosophy
The North Fitzroy Sustainable House is energy and water-autonomous. It is an example of building sustainably in a heritage-listed inner city suburb with demanding planning restrictions.The house is passively heated by a north-facing two-storey void that distributes light and heat to surrounding rooms. Shading devices block summer sun but allow winter sun to penetrate deep into the building. Heat is stored by thermal mass in the concrete slab and stone walls, to later warm the house. Windows catch prevailing breezes to provide passive cooling, assisted by the stack effect in the central void.Rain water is used for fresh water and grey water is recycled for toilet flushing and the garden. The family of five uses very little fresh water for showering as a Japanese bath allows them to bathe in solar heated water, filtered by aeration and changed only once annually.
