A contemporary family home that is off grid and self sufficient with water harvesting, onsite waste water and extensive food production. The house has a contemporary material palette of Abodo thermally treated weatherboards, exposed concrete and recycled timber features. All fittings and appliances  have been selected for high energy efficiency and very low water use.

The 5.75KWp solar Photovoltaic array supplies all the houses energy including water heating through highly efficient heat pump hot water. Materials and finishes have been selected to minimise environmental impacts being either recycled, eco labelled???.

The house has been rated 9 Stars under the New Zealand Green Building Council's Homestar environmental rating system - making it the highest rated house in Auckland ( June 2016). The house is designed to be passively heated utilising large areas of northern glass for winter heat gain to the insulated exposed concrete slab. I summer a ventilation system draws air through a native vine "green wall" that cloakes the southern side of the living room form across the concert slab and via a thermal chimney effect out the top of the house via glass louvres or the solar powered Skylight. 

A Ponsonby cottage upgraded for ???. Windows and doors were renewed with double glazing, walls/ floors and ceilings were insulated and a pre-existing gas boiler???. The central stair hall has a large skylight to bring sun into the centre of the space and for drawing cooling breezes up thru the house on summer days and warm the upstairs in the winter.

This natural summer cooling is enhanced with very low energy use ceiling fans in the main bedroom and living area. Noew lighting throughout is high efficiency LED with 85% of fittings by New Zealand suppliers  & manufacturers - switch-lighting and Hunza.

Bricks for the chimney that had to be removed due to structural inadequacies have been recycled in courtyard retaining and features.Where possible existing timber was reused and new flooring is recycled kauri from other villas.