Camberwell
Project Overview
Irene and Brian, a retired teacher and engineer, had raised their three children in their original Camberwell home and extended it in the 1990s. Despite those renovations, the house remained uncomfortable through the seasons with a layout that did not support their needs as they aged. Rather than renovate again, they chose to build a new home on the same site: a certified Passive House Plus designed specifically for the next chapter of their lives.
The brief called for a Hampton-style home with Frank Lloyd Wright influence, featuring wide eaves for shading and visual warmth. It needed to be fully accessible for ageing in place, with a lift, wider doorways, level thresholds and space for future ramps. It had to be energy efficient, low maintenance and comfortable year-round. And it had to remain close to the friends, family, healthcare, golf club and local services that Irene and Brian valued, rather than requiring a move to the country.
The home was built using prefabricated Structural Insulated Panels, achieving an exceptional airtightness result of 0.33 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals. This is one of the most airtight buildings in the country! A 6.6 kW rooftop solar PV system generates more energy annually than the home consumes, making it not just carbon neutral but carbon positive.
The project is listed on the international Passive House Database (ID 6979), where its certified performance data is publicly available for independent verification.
Completed Project
Suburban Comfort, Future-Proofed Design
The home sits comfortably within its established Camberwell streetscape, its Hampton-style form and wide eaves giving it a sense of permanence and warmth that belies the advanced building science within. High ceilings and generously proportioned doors throughout create an airy, open feel, while the deep eaves provide the shading and weather protection that both the aesthetic and the Passive House performance demand.
The ground floor is designed for daily living without the need to use the stairs. A master suite with ensuite, study, family room, kitchen with walk-in pantry and laundry with chute to a service area all sit on one level. Level thresholds throughout, wider doorways and corridors, and space allocated for future ramps ensure the home can accommodate changing mobility needs without renovation.
A lift connects both floors, providing independence and security for the long term. Upstairs, an additional living space with views across the treetops and distant landscape provides a quiet retreat for reading, guests or grandchildren.
Project Details
- Location: Camberwell, Melbourne
- Project Type: New Home, Retirement Residence
- Certification: Passive House Plus (certified)
- Construction: Prefabricated SIPs
- PHPP Treated Floor Area: 209 sqm
- Airtightness: 0.33 ACH @ 50 Pa
- Energy: All-electric, 6.6 kW solar PV, carbon positive
- Ventilation: Zehnder ComfoQ 350
- Heating/Cooling: Split system air source heat pumps (x2)
- Hot Water: Sanden CO2 heat pump
- Windows: Logikhaus 68mm aluminium-timber, triple-glazed
- Completed: 2021
- Builder: Devin Grant, Granted Construction
- Engineer: TGA Engineers / STFAB
- Certifier: Luc Plowman, Detail Green
- Passive House Database: ID 6979
- Building Services: Fantech and Passive Tech
- Photography by Sunpath
Ageing in Place Measures
Indoor and Outdoor Connection
The north-facing rear garden is accessed through a seamless connection to the alfresco dining area, sheltered beneath the deep eaves and translucent pergola. This covered outdoor space provides year-round use for entertaining, morning coffee and simply enjoying the garden without direct sun exposure during Melbourne’s intense summer afternoons.
The owners wanted the benefits of a new, high-performance home without leaving the neighbourhood they had lived in for decades. The result is a home that gives them everything a tree-change offers, comfort, low running costs, clean air, quiet interiors, but within walking distance of everything they value about their established community.
Planning for Two Chapters
The layout was designed to support two distinct phases of life. In the first, the entire house is used: bedrooms upstairs and down, the upper living space for family gatherings, the full garden and alfresco for entertaining. In the second, the ground floor operates as a complete, self-contained home: master suite, kitchen, living, study, laundry and accessible outdoor space, all on one level with lift access to the upper floor when desired.
This flexibility was built into the plan from the outset. Nothing needs to be converted or modified. The home simply adapts as its owners’ needs evolve, which is exactly what a well-designed retirement home should do.
Construction Process
Prefabricated SIPs Construction
The entire building envelope was constructed from prefabricated Structural Insulated Panels. Walls, floor and roof panels were manufactured off-site with openings pre-cut and airtight membranes installed in the factory, then delivered by crane truck and manually assembled on site.
The SIPs envelope achieves wall U-values of 0.3 W/m²K with a construction build-up of fibre cement cladding, vented cavity, 165mm SIPs panel with EPS foam core, services cavity and internal plasterboard lining. The floor uses a concrete screed slab over a 165mm SIPs panel (U-value 0.275 W/m²K). The roof combines a 200mm EPS SIPs panel with R2.5 Earthwool insulation batts beneath (U-value 0.141 W/m²K).
The completed envelope achieved a certified airtightness of 0.33 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals, one of the best results achieved in Australian residential construction. This level of performance is a direct result of the factory-controlled manufacturing process and meticulous attention to every junction and seal by Devin’s team during assembly.
Read our full guide to SIPs and Prefabrication.
Accessibility Integration
The SIPs construction system allowed the structural envelope to accommodate the lift shaft, wider openings and level thresholds required for full accessibility without compromising the airtight layer. Integrating these features into the structural design from the outset is significantly more effective than attempting to retrofit accessibility into a conventional build.
The project was built by Devin Grant of Granted Construction, with structural engineering by TGA Engineers and STFAB.
Concepts and Design Process
Staying in Place, Building for the Future
The design process began with a conversation about what Irene and Brian actually needed from their next home, and critically, what they did not want to lose by building it. Many retirees feel they must choose between a comfortable new home in a regional location and staying close to the community they have spent decades building. This project demonstrated that you can have both.
The Hampton-style form was a deliberate response to the established streetscape character of Camberwell. Wide eaves, traditional proportions and a composed facade sit comfortably alongside neighbouring homes while concealing a thoroughly modern, high-performance interior. The Frank Lloyd Wright influence is evident in the horizontal emphasis, the relationship between interior and garden, and the sheltering quality of the deep roof overhangs.
Passive House Features
Sustainability and Passive House Performance
This home is a certified Passive House Plus, independently verified and listed on the international Passive House Database (ID 6979). It generates more renewable energy annually than it consumes, making it a net energy contributor.
Certified Performance Data
- Annual heating demand: 13 kWh/m²a
- Heating load: 12 W/m²
- Cooling load: 14 W/m²
- Cooling and dehumidification demand: 3 kWh/m²a
- Airtightness: 0.33 ACH @ 50 Pa
- Primary energy demand (renewable): 27 kWh/m²a
- Renewable energy generation: 61 kWh/m²a
Read our full guide to Passive House / Passivhaus here.
Passive House Measures
Logikhaus 68mm aluminium-timber triple-glazed windows (Uw 1.05 W/m²K, Ug 0.58 W/m²K, g-value 53%), selected and positioned based on PHPP energy modelling. The deep eaves and external orientation of the building provide effective passive shading to north and west-facing glazing.
A Zehnder ComfoQ 350 heat recovery ventilation system providing constant filtered fresh air to every room, recovering warmth from exhaust air and maintaining healthy indoor air quality year-round. For a retired couple spending more time at home than working-age clients, the continuous supply of clean, filtered air is a particularly meaningful benefit for long-term respiratory health and wellbeing.
Two split system air source heat pumps providing the small amount of supplementary heating and cooling required. A Sanden CO2 heat pump provides domestic hot water, one of the most efficient hot water systems available.
A 6.6 kW rooftop solar PV array generating 61 kWh/m²a of renewable energy, comfortably exceeding the home’s annual consumption of 27 kWh/m²a. The surplus is exported to the grid, turning the home from an ongoing energy expense into a net contributor.
Low-VOC materials and low-maintenance finishes throughout, selected for durability, health and long-term practicality. Rainwater harvesting supplements the mains water supply.
The combination of exceptional airtightness (0.33 ACH), carbon positive energy performance and full accessibility makes this one of the most comprehensively future-proofed homes we have delivered. It demonstrates that Passive House Plus certification is achievable on a standard suburban site in Melbourne while also meeting the demanding requirements of ageing-in-place design.
Project Videos
We have compiled detailed videos of the project from concept to completion.
Click to visit our youtube channel.
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