Heritage is our home and has been an ongoing work since it was originally built in 2007. We believe Heritage is a great example of how to fit passive solar design onto small and odd-shaped sites. The original build was a classic 3-bedroom/1 bathroom cottage. In 2013 an extra bedroom, bathroom, and 5kW solar power system were added to accommodate a growing family. In 2021 additional improvements were made with double-glazed windows added throughout, and more ceiling insulation. This added further energy saving costs.
​
As we live in and use Heritage, we see how our design choices have impacted the performance and liveability of the house. This design has proven to us that you can have a nice sized, practical home whilst keeping ample outdoor and garden spaces.
​
We have information to show that this house is also cheap to run with an average monthly power bill of only $80.
​
In addition to the house itself, we have grown at least 17 fruit trees/plants plus vegetable gardens. These act as both providers of food with harvests for nearly 8 months of the year and strategic shading/cooling. We feel that Heritage is a testimony to practical, sustainable, yet cost effective building and landscape design.
![]() | ![]() |
---|---|
![]() | ![]() |
![]() |