Amelia's House
Location | Deakin, ACT Completed | September 2024
EER | 7.4 stars (started at 2.6 stars)
Predicted 75% reduction in operational energy needed for heating and cooling
Area | 133.5 m² - no extension; garage: 31 m²; block 664 m²
Builder | Aspect Building Projects Images | Vibe Imagery - September 2024
Media | How the project began as testing and retrofit advice from our science team
How we took the house from 2.6 to 7.1 star energy rating
The clever addition of skylights to the adjoining northern garage
How much the airtightness of the home was improved
“Most people mistakenly assume a classic, 1950s, weatherboard cottage could never perform like a modern, comfortable and efficient home. They would be wrong. ”
Without any extension of its footprint, this home in Deakin has been transformed from dark, cold and gas-guzzling to light-filled, cosy and all-electric.
The home has also been reconfigured for flexible living and future-proofing. A live-in carer, an adult child seeking some independence, or a house-mate, could use the front of the home as their private space (see the final floor plan at the end of the gallery below and imagine the addition of a kitchenette to the study).
You can see and hear more about this home via four short videos at the Media link above. Below, you will find a gallery of photos of the retrofitted and reconfigured home… and below that you’ll find some BEFORE photos.
The floor plans above show: 1. the original layout (with a toilet and laundry blocking the northern light to the main living area), 2. the first concept design (which moved the laundry to the south opposite the kitchen) and the final floor plan (with the laundry adjacent to the kitchen on the north and an ensuite off the new main bedroom on the south).
