North South House, Box Hill, Melbourne Building, Australian Commercial Property, Victoria Green Office Architecture

North South House in Box Hill

29 Jun 2021

Design: Preston Lane Architects

Location: Box Hill South, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

North South House

North South House is a new 4 bedroom family home in the Eastern Melbourne suburb of Box Hill South. The sites orientation drove the design outcome which importantly had to capture the northern sun on the deep north south oriented block, along with incorporate the latest high efficiency heat pump technologies, solar and battery systems.

What was the brief?
North South House is located in the Eastern Melbourne suburb of Box Hill South. The original post war weatherboard house was quaint but unremarkable and the project started as a typical rear extension. As the brief and scope of the project developed through a series of concept designs it quickly became apparent that it was more feasible to demolish the existing house and start again.

The brief called for a new family home consisting of 4 bedrooms, two separate living spaces, multiple study spaces, a swimming pool, as well as most importantly the ability to capture the northern sun on the deep north south oriented block. The house had to incorporate the latest high efficiency heat pump technologies, solar and battery systems.

What were the key challenges?
The main challenge of the project was designing a double storey family house on a north south oriented site that allowed northern sun and light into all the living spaces. We also wanted to create an energy efficient house that did not scream sustainability.

What were the solutions?
The house is organised into four distinct zones that allows each member of the family to have their own space, and importantly come together at different times of the day. Feedback from our clients reveals that this has been particularly successful, allowing the family to work and live together during the recent Covid lockdowns.

The front section of the house contains the master bedroom and second living space. The entry is located between this and the central kids’ bedrooms, and utilities rooms. The rear consists of the kitchen, dining, and main living spaces, that open to the outdoor living and pool; and upstairs contains a flexible living, study and spare bedroom.

The design provides a clear delineation between and through each of the zones. As you approach the house a crazy paved landing extends beyond two painted brick walls that leads you to the front door. The crazy paving continues inside through this entry space to an east facing frameless glazed window. The painted brick walls also extend internally and the texture of the paving underfoot and the simple tree beyond provide the sense of still being outside.

There are a series of level changes through the middle of the house constructed of polished concrete and oak floorboards that define each of the spaces. The rear kitchen and dining areas, most importantly, have an angled roof and timber lined ceiling that provides a large north facing clerestory window. This allows the sun to penetrate this space, and naturally expel hot air through an opening window at the high level.

There is a small external courtyard to the north of the main living room which allows for another important north facing window. The window rises over 4 metres in height into a narrow void above the rear of the living room bathing this space in natural light and midday sun. The living room also orients to the south where a large, double-glazed window provides a direct visual connection to the pool from within the house.

Who are the clients and what’s interesting about them?
Our clients are a family of four (five now they have a new dog) who had an interest in good design and sought a house that was beautiful but simple, practical, and worked. There was a strong interest in energy efficiency, in particular solar, and battery and new heat pump technologies, from our client’s professional research work.

How is the project unique?
The most unique aspect of this project is the incorporation of a single high efficiency heat pump that provides hot water, heats the house through a hydronic system in winter as well as heats the pool in summer. The Stiebel Eltron heat pump is powered majority of the year from the large solar system located on the upper-level roof as well as a battery system that will be installed in the workshop space. This is the first of a series of projects that we have specified this single system and the feedback from our clients is very positive.