Trends New Zealand NZ New Home Trends Vol. 30/7 | Page 69
Self-sufficiency is an ideal once associated
with hippies and an alternative lifestyle. Today,
with fast-growing populations and shrinking
resources, architects and homeowners are
embracing this concept as a key way forward.
Consequently, a modern home is likely to
achieve sustainability in many ways.
Natalia and Jamie Harrington are the
owners of a green housing company, Hybrid
Homes. To prove that an inner-city family home
could combine domestic comfort and a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle, the couple asked
Jamie’s father, architect Richard Harrington, to
design a house with both these advantages.
“The house was to be a show home for our
business and had to reflect what is achievable
in terms of the latest technology and attention
to site orientation, passive heating and cooling
and environment-friendly finishes,” Natalia
Harrington says.
“Several design approaches came together
to achieve the maximum results with this property. Initially, the west-facing site posed some
challenges – while it has great sea views, it was
tricky to maximise the sun from the north and
regulate its impact from the west.”
Preceding pages: Several eco-friendly
factors were introduced in the design
and construction of this house. These
include an array of photovoltaic
panels to capture the sun’s energy
and convert it into electricity.
Above: The stepped design means
each module is exposed to the
northern sun, while being shaded
from the west as the sun moves
around. The house is designed to
optimise natural heating and cooling
at every turn.
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