2020 – BDAA National Design Awards

To respond to the climate crisis, says Talina, we need to be designing buildings with a lower carbon-footprint, and Passivhaus projects can deliver on net-zero buildings due to their high-performance “fabric-first” approach which ensures very low operational energy.

Clients who are building their ‘forever home’ place high value on quality, comfort and health. A home is a significant investment, and they wanted the quality assurance that a Certified Passive House delivers – with quantifiable predictability of performance. The additional outlay to achieve this was estimated at less than 10%. The operational energy of a CPH can be 90% lower than a standard home, resulting in substantial savings in running costs over the life of building.

A beautiful natural exterior beckons inward to a collection of ebullient spaces dedicated to any and all facets of the performing arts. Students can immerse themselves in a sustainable, health-promoting setting that encourages and enhances their love for the performing arts.

With every material handpicked for ultimate sustainability and maximised circulation, this open air design also doubles as the perfect sustainable home. This design won the Chris Reardon Memorial Award for residential sustainable buildings.

The definitive home above the bay is also a holiday house with a smooth linear layout and a pure sustainable layout that integrates elements of passive solar, photovoltaic panels, cross-ventilations, and more. This manse above the water is surprisingly low maintenance, and also provides all the traditional comforts of home.