Trends New Zealand NZ New Home Trends Vol. 30/7 | Page 73
bank operates the house, and excess power that
cannot be used or stored, will be sold to the
grid,” Harrington says.
The sun also powers an evacuated tube hot
water system, with each element consisting of
two borosilicate glass tubes. The transparent
outer tube allows sunlight to pass through to
the inner tube, which absorbs the solar heat. A
vacuum between them traps the heat for reuse.
Heat pump underfloor heating provides a
backup to the solar water heating, but the house
captures and retains the sun so efficiently that
this has yet to be used.
Other ways the house stores energy include
a thermally broken floor slab with R4 insulation,
which prevents the warmth from dissipating
into the ground. The polished concrete flooring
acts as a thermal sink that absorbs heat during
the day and releases it at night, when it is colder.
The house is fully thermally broken – its
thermal envelope is completely sealed, so there
is no way for heat to escape outside. Thermally
broken exterior joinery is complemented by
argon-filled, low-e double glazing.
The roof is insulated to R5.8 and the walls
have an R3.2 rating, keeping the home snug.
Top: Set at one end of the living
spaces, the cantilevered kitchen
island is a social hub within the
home. Its dramatic elongated form
is supported by an internal steel
structure.
Above: Most design elements are
simple and unadorned, and reflect
a connection to nature, such as the
minimalist vanity and slate floor
in the bathroom. Low-flow water
fixtures were specified.
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