Aquas Perma Solar Firma in Alexandria, Australia by CplusC Architectural Workshop

Article source: CplusC Architectural Workshop 

Located in a former light industrial area, AQUAS PERMA SOLAR FIRMA reconsiders the terrace typology stamped along Sydney’s streets without regard for the environment and instead provides a site sensitive response to a functional rather than prescriptive brief. With amenities aplenty at their doorstep, such as Sydney Park which is a short walk away the clients were keen to experiment how their site might work harder for them in the realms of energy and food production, utilising every square metre efficiently.

AQUAS PERMA SOLAR FIRMA is a home tailored to the needs of a modern, environmentally conscious and socially responsible couple. Our most sustainable project to date, it includes an aquaponics system for fish harvesting, rain water storage for use throughout the home, a wicking bed to filter water, compost, a worm farm and chicken coop working in harmony with a productive vegetable garden, an evacuated glass tube solar hot water system and a 3KW photovoltaic power generation system to run the home and charge the couple’s electric car.

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

• Architects: CplusC Architectural Workshop
• Project: Aquas Perma Solar Firma
• Location: Alexandria, Australia

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

CplusC were approached by the owners of an existing terrace house in an urban area of Sydney to help them realise their vision of a home that would be the embodiment of their commitment to the environment. The result is AQUAS PERMA SOLAR FIRMA, a beautiful, small footprint home which has reinvented the terrace typology and lifestyle. Vertical circulation is shifted to the front façade and a circular stair is formed by an array of glass and timber battens which doubles as an internal garden. The house combines innovative architectural design with off grid green initiatives.

A primary objective of the design process was to find a way to ensure the design would contribute to the longevity of the building. To this end, a central courtyard provides all internal spaces with superior natural light and access to green spaces despite site restrictions, while planting beds are integrated into the home to improve internal air quality. The brief also called for a versatile primary living space; it should be an entertaining space, a ‘work from home’ space and should be able to transform into a blank canvas at a moment’s notice. The result was a custom, adjustable table which provided the necessary flexibility to change the use of the rear space. The large bench overarches three smaller tables with adjustable height legs, in different configurations they form a place to sit, eat, stand, converse, work, mill and chat. Essential services are aligned along the party wall and the cabinetry finish subtly increases the ambient light, contrasting warmer brick and timber tones. A custom, folded steel shelf houses a collection of everyday objects and products the owner’s delight in.

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Seamless integration of green spaces within the home was an key design objective. Vertically hung sliding doors operated via a rack and pinion crankwheel paired with a custom concrete counterweight open the interior of the house to the courtyard and the kitchen has an unobstructed connection to the rear yard with sliding, stacking doors that disappear from view. The garden includes built-in outdoor seating which accommodates an aquaponics system (for fish harvesting and fertilising the vertical vegetable garden); a wicking bed (for drought resistance); and a compost system. Large planter boxes form a productive vegetable garden.

Despite its compelling front façade, walking past AQUAS PERMA SOLAR FIRMA in the daytime you probably wouldn’t look twice, it’s so well concealed by the teeming front garden. At night, it’s another story. The stairwell glows, a beacon for sustainability in the urban centre of Sydney and an unlikely find in these parts. A hint of movement through the timber and glass battens piques your interest. Hours upon hours of painstakingly slow work to form the stair is experienced in this fleeting moment. The owners spend a lot of time talking with curious onlookers, unsure what to make of this new structure on their street.

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

The clients had lived in the same street for many years before deciding to commission AQUAS PERMA SOLAR FIRMA and since it’s completion they’ve reported they socialise regularly with more neighbours than they can keep count of. Their home generates so much fresh produce they decided to share it with their neighbours, creating a neighbourhood co-op of sorts and indirectly they’ve developed greater relationships with their neighbours.

Once inside you’re immediately treated to a view of the central garden beyond the front room and you feel an ample breeze, momentarily disoriented you wonder if you stepped into an outdoor space? The hallway is increased in width by the courtyard garden and you decide to cut through the garden to get to the kitchen and you’re greeted with another green space, which could easily be mistaken for row gardens from farms around the Hawkesbury, overgrown and abundant.

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

A dreary rainy day is transformed into meditative experience, watching rain drip off the chain which runs through the middle of the concrete counterweight to be collected for reuse. When the sun returns, the twisting of the crankwheel removes the floor to ceiling glass doors, opening to the outside once again. Family and friends revel in the joy of cooking and entertaining at AQUAS PERMA SOLAR FIRMA. Guests venture to the rear garden to select herbs, lettuce, a maybe a freshly laid egg before returning to the large bench with a sense of accomplishment. The last thing you’d expect to wake you up to in the city is the squawk of chickens, yet here they are happily chirping away.

The owner’s engaged CplusC not only for their architectural services but also to build AQUAS PERMA SOLAR FIRMA. The design fused architectural concepts with permaculture principles inside and out, resulting in a building that was technically demanding to construct. As a result, it was a logical decision to proceed with CplusC to construct the home, given their thorough understanding of the building and their attention to detail. This has made the home a pleasure to live in as well as striking looking.

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

AQUAS PERMA SOLAR FIRMA is interesting beyond how it looks due to the approach taken to sustainability. Rather than simply ticking off a check list of sustainable features, the design responded to client needs and behaviours, site-specific considerations, the implications of Sydney’s climate, balancing environmental outcomes against cost effectiveness and consideration of potential changes in technology or occupant needs for future resilience and adaptability.

The owners commissioned a private report on the house one year after moving in. The overall results show that AQUAS PERMA SOLAR FIRMA is close to carbon neutral, predominantly due to the 1.5kW solar PV system offsetting most of the household electricity consumption with an 84% emissions reduction. Solar hot water also makes a significant contribution with a 17% emissions reduction. The analysis also stated that the residence has reduced its water consumption by 45% through rainfall harvesting which supplies the toilets, laundry and irrigation.

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Image Courtesy © CplusC Architectural Workshop

Tags: Alexandria, Australia

Categories: House, Interiors, Residential

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