Passive and energy efficient house design in NSW
Energy efficient design
Passive and energy efficient house design in NSW
A house that fights its climate costs money every year it stands. Source Architects designs homes where orientation, shading, thermal mass, insulation, glazing and ventilation do the work first, and mechanical heating and cooling only picks up what is left. The studio is based in Orange, where hot summers and cold winters make that discipline worth far more than it is on the coast. David and Sally Sutherland, both NSW registered architects, lead every project personally.
Free performance comes first
Which way the building faces, where the living spaces sit, how deep the eaves are and where the openings go cost nothing extra at design stage and determine most of a house’s running cost for its whole life. Spending on glazing and insulation before those are resolved is paying to correct an avoidable problem.
Built for a cold winter and a hot summer
The Central West asks a house to do two opposite things well. Winter sun deep into the plan, summer sun excluded entirely, mass to hold the temperature, and ventilation to purge heat overnight. Getting the geometry right means one set of decisions serves both seasons. This shapes our rural houses in particular.
Where the extra spend earns its keep
Beyond the free decisions, performance costs money: better glazing, continuous insulation, careful sealing, considered ventilation. We are direct about what each upgrade returns in comfort and running cost so you can spend the budget where it does the most, rather than across the board.
Applies to renovations too
Existing houses can often be improved dramatically by changing where the living spaces sit and how they open, before any thought of new insulation. See renovation architecture, our full services, or get in touch.
Common questions about passive and energy efficient design
What is passive design?
Using orientation, shading, insulation, thermal mass, glazing and ventilation so the building itself keeps you comfortable, rather than relying on heating and cooling to correct a design that works against the climate.
Is passive design expensive?
Orientation, planning and window placement cost nothing extra at design stage. Higher performing glazing, insulation and sealing do add cost, and we help you decide where that money returns the most comfort.
Does it suit the Central West climate?
Particularly well. Hot summers and cold winters mean a poorly oriented house is expensive to run in both directions, so the gains from getting it right are larger here than on the coast.
Can you work to certified Passive House standard?
Formal Passivhaus certification is a specialist process with its own certifier and modelling requirements. Talk to us about your target and we will be straightforward about the pathway and who else needs to be involved.
How do we get started?
Get in touch through the contact page to arrange an initial conversation about your site and your performance goals.
