Passiv Laneway

This two-bedroom apartment sits atop a garage on a discreet laneway on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. The site was very small and the building envelope had to be very carefully configured to meet Council requirements. A custom design that took into account the site constraints and regulations was essential. 

The garage below is formed from a split face concrete block, beautiful and practical at the same time. There’s a pleasing contrast between the simplicity and heaviness of the base and its floating top. The treetop views afforded by the elevated position give this apartment a sense of space that belies its actual size—a footprint of just 60m2 (TFA). This is the maximum size allowable for “granny flats” (secondary dwellings) under NSW regulations.

Achieving Passivhaus quality and performance targets was impressive given the apartment’s small size and shape. Small buildings have a greater surface area to volume ratio that makes achieving airtightness targets harder and increases heating and cooling demand. The apartment was successful thanks to good design that built in Passivhaus requirements from the very outset (the owners were easily convinced as to its merits) and outstanding attention to detail from the builders.

Side walls are clad in dark standing seam to match the roof while the more visible long elevations are a blackbutt cladding that will beautifully weather over time. The double-glazed timber/aluminium windows and door are an integral part of the well insulated airtight building envelope. The heat recovery ventilation system ensures fresh air 24/7, although the doors can often be found open on a gorgeous autumn day.

While side walls are blank to maintain the privacy from neighbours, carefully placed windows and sliding doors on the front and rear elevations effectively daylight the different spaces. The industrial checkerplate external staircase makes for a dramatic entry with sky views. The balcony offers outdoor living space and is sheltered by an intricate timber screen that balances privacy with daylight and protection with connection to the surrounds.

For more technical detail, see project #6367 on the PHI Passive House database.