A Compact Passive Residence That Hugs A Pepper Tree

The generation of Pepper Tree Passive Dwelling by Alexander Symes Architect started various several years back in collaboration with builder and consumer Adam Souter of Souter Created, who life on the residence with companion Ame Rooke-Jones, and their 3 youthful kids.

The family’s Wollongong residence was exhausted and thermally inefficient, but functionally satisfactory. In its place of spending their spending budget on significant upgrades to the existing property, they decided to make a new, individual structure on the rear of the web page to a Passive House common.

‘This meant they would get the best amenity worth for their budget with minor efficiency based mostly upgrades to the existing property including new insulation, cladding, repainting the concrete tiles a lighter colour to reduce heat gain, and a 12kW solar panel awning that presents shade to the outdoor areas in summer time,’ claims Alexander Symes, director of Alexander Symes Architect.

Just after the original idea was created, Adam began salvaging and storing landfill-bound supplies from his other building tasks to finally use in his residence. 

The ensuing secondary dwelling takes the variety of an elevated U-formed building wrapping all-around an current 60-12 months-aged tree. 

‘We made the decision at our initial meeting that the pepper tree was part of the core identity of the web page and retaining it would be a wonderful gain to the last outcome, fairly than just another box-formed granny flat,’ claims Alexander. 

Two cantilevered wings are clad with recycled shou sugi ban cladding, and every single host a green roof blending the creating into the landscape.

Adam’s salvaged design components have been utilised throughout the undertaking, such as on the external staircase crafted employing the roof structure of a demolished Bondi property, contributing to its sustainable Passive House conventional. 

The completed self-contained residence includes just one bedroom, a kitchen area, residing place, toilet, and a laundry across 60 square metres internally. The constructing functions as an place of work for Adam’s expanding business, which can alternatively be rented as shorter continue to be lodging.

In creating a secondary composition, Alexander Symes Architect have added much needed usable floor place to a suburban web site without overdeveloping or sacrificing its biophilic connection. This solution delivers a precedent for making modest, long run proofed additions without the need of the enormous price of upgrading all current dwellings.