Vauclin Residence New Plymouth

The clients came to eHaus with clearly-thought out requirements: simplicity without compromise on performance or construction. They wanted a Certified Passive House with quality, low maintenance and, durable construction.

While energy efficiency was important, other performance standards were required. The house needed to be readily secured plus resilient to high winds, storms and earthquakes. Air quality and environmental considerations were also a concern, with low-VOC and natural materials being required.

The clients perfectly understood the trade off between size, budget and quality and their instructions to the designer were clear: to stay within the budget, shrink the house rather than skimp on quality.

The design team delivered a Certified Passive House with two bedrooms, an office, two bathrooms, a spacious laundry and a reception area, all within a TFA of 121 m2 — plus a double garage.

The house is notable for its very high quality windows: wood/aluminium, German made, tilt turn frames with low-E coating and argon filled double-glazing. It has also a very low heating load and when heating is required, this is provided by a 1 kW portable heater and a heated towel rail.