House in Ringwood
This house is designed as a perfect cube, using structural insulated panels (SIPs). Double storey in height and on a hill in Ringwood, the house is wonderfully simple in its form. The corrugated iron cladding and black windows express the simplicity of the plan and section where the house was designed to be faster to build.
This project performs exceptionally well on a thermal level. It uses a heat recovery ventilation system to control air through the house and is supported by heat pump technology for heating and cooling. The project is a leader in what we can do to advance better building envelopes and allow houses to perform above and beyond the ordinary.
Building with SIPs, and structural insulated panels, is not always easy. In theory, they look simple, but the reality in Australia is that they are not well known, meaning that fewer builders and even fewer trades know how to work with them. However, the benefits are increased thermal insulation, strength, and speed to weather tightness. Once the panels are installed, the house can be weathertight in days, not months.
The simplicity of cladding and form of this building is not so much a product of the construction method but a minimal response to the surrounding area. This house is a shiny silver cube that stands tall over a landscape of tiled roofs and the generic forms of suburbia. Not only as something that stands out visually but as a project that stands out because it is built using so much sophisticated technology to enhance the sustainability of the house and reduce the environmental footprint.