Augusta House

This house was designed for the perfect passive solar site located on a hillside with views to the north. Overlooking the ocean, the home was designed to be as organic as possible. The home features a north-facing cantilevered deck and a large adjacent sun space that could be ventilated in the summer.The deck also features louvers which can be closed in the winter enclosing a conservatory space. In addition, a large master bedroom, guest facilities and an undercroft garage meet the long-term needs of Ecotect Architects’ clients in their retirement.

Fremantle House

Ecotect Architects was commissioned to provide a design that converted a very plain house into a home that maximised the spectacular views of Fremantle and the coastline while achieving the clients and architects philosophy of an environmentally sound renovation. The challenge for the architectural team was to create a passive solar family house while achieving the desired views to the west of the home.

As the existing house was structurally sound, the basic shell of the house was kept and the team built upwards to maximise the views. This also enabled the team to retain the existing, large garden.

The living space is located on the upper floor and opens to the north onto a deck with a solar pergola. The deck is protected from the prevailing south westerly winds and maximises the sun in winter while being shaded in summer. The area maximises the views of Fremantle to the north and west and the western and eastern facades are glazed to maximise the views while remaining protected with extensive shading.

The home’s bedrooms, bathrooms and children’s play areas are located on the refurbished upper ground floor, while the laundry and storerooms are located on the lower ground floor.

South Beach Prom House

The South Beach Promenade site in South Fremantle has a beautiful, uninterrupted north-westerly view across parkland to the beach. The brief for the project was for a passive solar, Fremantle-style house with an upper-floor retreat. The client’s intention was to utilise the upper floor for himself while the downstairs area would be mostly used by guests. The entry to the house was on the south side and both the upstairs and downstairs living spaces open onto balconies and terraces to the north-west. The house features a double-height solar pergola and a circular stone tower on the street frontage. These circular forms are repeated throughout the building.

For sustainability the house also features underground water storage tanks, re-charge toilet systems and anApricus evacuated tube hot water system. The solar pergola thermally controls the living spaces and features an outside dining area. Solar awningsabove the kitchen windows further control the temperature and a breeze court with a water feature captures the sea breezes.

Dalkeith House

This project was located on a site that was not perfectly suited to passive solar design. To optimise the orientation and meet the challenge presented by the site, the Ecotect team orientated all major interior spaces to within 20 degrees of the east-west axis. This allows for effective control of passive solar gains throughout the year. The narrow floor plan and layout also effectively captures the prevailing winds to maximise natural ventilation.

A centrally located garden area situated to the north is the focus of the house, with the main living areas opening onto this space. Around the house a series of smaller, secondary courtyards fulfill varying roles relating to the functionality of the different rooms.

One of the major aims of the design was to create a family compound that can be separated into two linked but independent dwellings. It was important to the client that the living areas could accommodate short-term and long-term guests. The multi-use aspect of several of the rooms provides the owners with a great level of flexibility in how the home is occupied.

The heavyweight masonry walls are a combination of rendered brick and stone, with the stone being used strategically and cost-effectively where it will have the best visual impact. These masonry base walls contrast with clerestory windows above and the lightweight steel structure that supports the skillion roofs.