Flipping the narrative

This Perth family threw out their original oversized volume builder plans and opted instead for a compact, healthy, sun-filled home with a big garden.

At a glance

• Small footprint preserves outdoor space
• Designed to Passive House standard for comfort and low energy use
• Innovative wood fibre wall system

When two members of the family were getting sick all the time, and testing on their old home revealed a host of problems including lead dust and mould, this Perth couple decided to sell up. They bought a 506-square-metre subdivided block in the same neighbourhood south of the river, and approached a volume builder for a design and costing for a brand new home.

The plan they received was for a very large home – a whopping 300 square metres – taking up almost all of the narrow, sloping block. It had long corridors, clumsy stepped levels, little natural light and a tiny south-facing back garden. It was also way over budget, as it required extensive and costly earthworks. They began asking around for options and happily were soon referred to architect Ben Caine of Leanhaus, a practice that focuses on streamlined, cost-effective sustainable design using Passive House principles.

After visiting the site and hearing what the family were after – a light, healthy and well-ventilated home with a good-sized garden for their two young boys – Ben was confident he could produce a solution. “My strategy was to make the house more compact and sustainable without losing functionality, and with better amenity and natural light,” he says, “and for a more reasonable cost.” He started with the basics of passive solar design – getting the orientation right by pushing the house to the southern end of the block. As well as opening up the northern aspect for solar access, this reduced the need for earthworks, as the house site was relatively flat.

A double-storey design allowed a small footprint of just 94 square metres, for a total floor area of just over 180 square metres. Far smaller than the original builder’s offering, the compact home still features four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a light-filled, north-facing living/dining/kitchen space opening to a large shaded alfresco. There is also a study, a laundry, and a spacious and sunny terraced garden.

The large U-shaped kitchen was designed with the cooktop (with a neat pop-up extraction system) facing the dining area, as one of the owners used to be a chef and the family love to entertain. Upstairs, they decided on a single large bathroom with a separate toilet rather than two smaller bathrooms, both for reduced cleaning and to be able to afford “that wow factor of a nice bathroom with a beautiful tub”, as they put it. The double garage and attached workshop at the front of the block create a buffer from the street that fosters a quiet, private home environment, and a long ramp provides easy access to the house. The sliding door to the living area doubles as the front door. “It’s unconventional, but it works for them,” says Ben.

The family did compromise on space, but as they say, “That’s something you can adjust to with the way you live and organise your house.” The two kids share a room, which is furnished with twin loft beds with desks and shelving underneath. The third upstairs bedroom is kept for guests, at least until their sons are older. The downstairs bedroom – an important universal design feature – is currently used as a multipurpose space: variously an office, a music room and storage.

The structure is close to 100 per cent timber, including framing and an innovative low-carbon, high-performance wood fibre cladding and insulation system that Ben believes is a first in Western Australia. The high-density, lightweight panels and batts provide extremely efficient insulation and fire resistance, and are compatible with the full sealing and elimination of thermal bridges required under the Passive House standard. The system also allows for thinner wall framing, meaning more internal space. The couple speak highly of their builder, Shaun Ngere of Saltus Built, who was instrumental in making the novel wall system a success.

Other passive solar design features include north-facing glazing for winter solar gain, double glazing throughout, and summer shading thanks to a custom truss-and-batten structure. The mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery (MVHR), ceiling fans, and openings designed for cross ventilation provide healthy, fresh air year-round, minimising dust and the risk of mould and allowing a high level of thermal comfort. A zoned, ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning system helps out in extreme temperatures. The house is all-electric, and solar panels on the garage and workshop cover a lot of the family’s energy needs. The owners estimate their electricity bills are 60 to 70 per cent less than in their previous home.

As well as the all-important health benefits, the family love the fact that their home is quiet, calm, comfortable and private. “It feels like a beach house. It’s very light, open and airy, and there’s a lovely breeze that comes through when we have the windows open. We really enjoy sitting in the family room and looking out onto the green space.”

Both designer and builder were thrilled when the project won the HIA Perth GreenSmart Sustainable Home award in 2024, but that’s not the main source of satisfaction for Ben. “I think it’s a real game changer to be able to provide a family home on an urban infill block, with heaps of garden space to play cricket or shoot hoops or jump on the trampoline. That’s just an enormous benefit to the family.”