Browne Residence Cambridge

Dunedin firm Architype designed and built this home for a couple relocating to Cambridge who wanted a comfortable, energy-efficient house that would meet their needs as they aged. The layout, structure, services and aesthetics of the building tightly work together to create a simple yet extremely high-performance building.

The Browne residence was Architype’s first North Island Passive House project; its team is accustomed to designing for much colder, southern climates. It illustrates perfectly how the complexity of a Passive House scales according to the climate in which it is built.

Waikato’s relatively mild climate provided an opportunity to meet Passive House standards using a different, simple formula. Various combinations were considered in PHPP and this software provided certainty that a certification-worthy build was possible with the use of New Zealand-made SIPs, 300 mm thick ceiling insulation, double-glazed timber-framed windows and a simple (albeit carefully modelled) insulated slab. Wide eaves shade the high summer sun; combined with other design elements, no overheating is anticipated.

The architect met the challenges of the long, narrow site and district plan setback requirements, creating a layered building with strong horizontal landscaping that offers private, north-facing outdoor space.