House by the canal


A highly energy efficient family home in Elwood, though you wouldn’t know it to look at it.

The creation of this home allowed us to showcase all that we strive for. We fashioned a design that provided a family of five with well-oriented ground floor living and bedrooms above. The home features such modern comforts as hydronic heating, motorised blinds and the latest in air conditioning.

view to pond

It is no energy hog though, being very economic on that front thanks to ranks of state of the art solar batteries connected to an array on the roof.

A light trap in the middle of the house is taken to the next step with the incorporation of a pond, complete with fish and plants. It provides the ground floor with a focus and a sense of peace.

The opportunity for the pond came about thanks to local flood plain by-laws requiring new living spaces to be elevated by about half a metre off the ground – about the perfect depth for a pond.

At least six commissioned artists added the final touches in varying fields and mediums.

As with all our work, we completed this home on time and on budget – much to the relief of the clients.

The home was a finalist in the 2017 Master Builders National Excellence Awards.