How This New Build Balances Family Friendly Spaces With Sustainable Principles
Architecture
Oculus House from the street.
The timber slatted facade shelters the main bedroom from western sun while providing privacy.
A glimpse at the second-storey study space.
The side yard features a pool and lawn for the kids to play on.
The oculus above the central courtyard allows natural light to warm the adjoining living space.
Sliding glass doors open to the outdoor dining area.
High ceilings with operable windows capture cooling breezes.
The view from the dining room.
Concrete floors, crisp whites, and warming timbers feature inside.
The kitchen.
A large island bench accommodates the whole family.
The light-filled living room.
Upstairs leads to the study.
There’s even room for some table tennis!
The timber deck is nestled peacefully amongst the treetops.
One of the four bedrooms.
Looking at Oculus House, it’s clear Ben Callery Architects has mastered the art of balancing family-friendly spaces with sustainable principles.
‘The owners had a fundamental desire for passive solar design informed by their respective professional experiences (one as a town planner) and their desire for an energy efficient, healthy home,’ director Ben Callery says of the new build in Alphington.
‘They wanted their house to harness the elements to be naturally comfortable using warming winter sun and cross ventilation in as many rooms as possible.’
And as a family of five, with three school-aged children, the clients also needed to be able to comfortably occupy their house almost ‘24-7’, with four bedrooms, a main living room, and a second living room all on the ground floor.
At 255 square metres, the resulting floorplan stretches along the southern side of the block to maximise solar gain. High ceilings bathe the living area in sunlight, as electrically operable highlight windows draw in prevailing cooling southerly breezes.
Instead of a traditional backyard, the house opens to a sunny ‘side yard’, featuring a pool, garden, and pergola characterised by a circular skylight overhead.
‘The oculus cut out of the pergola embodies the family’s fundamental desire for passive solar design while providing a beautifully unique space to gather,’ Ben says.
‘With 34 solar panels and energy-efficient design and construction, this all-electric house has low reliance on grid energy, even while charging an electric vehicle that drives 50km/day and heating a pool to 30 degrees in swimming season and actually exporting over 8,000kWh to the grid each year.’
Careful attention was also given to the building envelope. High levels of insulation feature within the walls (which are especially thick to conceal the heat recovery ventilation unit system) and even the concrete floor to help maintain stable temperatures inside.
Upstairs, a compact study space is nestled deliberately away from family life below, creating a quiet sanctuary for homework or working from home. An adjoining roof deck provides a sheltered outdoor space in the treetops and sunset views.
‘We often encourage clients to have a single-storey house, where possible, because it frees you up to have a nice high ceiling on your ground floor with lovely sunlight and views to trees,’ Ben notes.
‘But in this case, they have the best of both worlds: an effectively single-storey house with just one room popped up over the front.’