TIMES.KY

Cayman Islands, Caribbeanand International News
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

This High-Tech Melbourne Home Generates “Way More” Energy Than It Uses

This High-Tech Melbourne Home Generates “Way More” Energy Than It Uses

Thanks to its powerful solar system, the Garden House by Austin Maynard Architects can generate 100 kilowatt-hours of energy in a single day.

Tranquility, flexibility, and self-sufficiency were top of mind when a self-described "kind of quirky" family of five approached Austin Maynard Architects to design a "super modern" home with a private garden in Prahran, South Melbourne.

Viewed from the street, the Garden House sits pretty as a white-shingled cottage complete with an archetypal pitched roof. However, follow the entry path and the facade gives way to a lush retreat-"like discovering Narnia at the end of a literal yellow brick road," say the architects.



The clients sought a sustainable dwelling that catered to their diverse needs, so Austin Maynard Architects decided to divide the house into four main zones-an office, a kitchen/living area, a dining space, and a kid’s area-connected through smart interfaces. Each zone is demarcated by hidden doors that can open or close depending on the occasion, while mirrored glass reflects the garden outside.



In this calm oasis, family life extends outdoors thanks to a heated pool, fire pit, and table for al fresco dining. Borrowing terminology from the tech world, the client brief to the architects detailed "user experience" situations requiring solutions. These requests led to the creation of a netted play staircase, a dedicated bike entrance with storage, and a muesli-making station concealed in a hidden pantry.



"We spent a lot of time getting the kitchen area right, and it works really well," the clients say. "We live in this space all the time, and we’re really happy with it."

The crowning achievement of the Garden House, however, is its environmental sustainability. Designed to function completely off the grid, the house is free from a gas connection. Instead, it’s powered by a solar system, supplemented by battery storage, that generates around 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day. (For reference, the average Australian home uses 19 kilowatt-hours of electricity in a single day.)



In addition, thick insulation, thermally broken aluminum frames, and a fully automated Dynalite / Control4 smart home system combine to temper the extreme heat of Melbourne’s sweltering summers. This considered, integrated solution allows the clients to enjoy their heated pool, hydronic heating, and electric ovens and cooktops with "no guilt and no cost." The house even powers their Tesla Model 3.



"We’re easily generating way more than we’re using," the owner says. "We needed an architect with vision, as we were specific about the things we wanted the house to include. With Austin Maynard Architects…you could tell the homes had been specifically tailored to the owners. Our brief was for a really super modern house, in every sense, but still really warm-and that’s what we have."


Newsletter

Related Articles

TIMES.KY
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
BBC Personalities Rebuke Accusations Amidst Scandal Involving Teen Exploitation
A Swift Disappointment: Why Is Taylor Swift Bypassing Canada on Her Global Tour?
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
Unilever Plummets in a $2.5 Billion Free Fall, to begin with: A Reckoning for Misuse of Corporate Power Against National Interest
Beyond the Blame Game: The Need for Nuanced Perspectives on America's Complex Reality
Twitter Targets Meta: A Tangle of Trade Secrets and Copycat Culture
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
×