Putty Passiv
Residential: Single Dwelling
Passivhaus Plus Certification
Putty, NSW, 2025
Nestled in the tranquil and sheltered Putty Valley, Putty Passiv is an off-grid camper’s refuge. Occupying Wonnarua and Darkinjung Country, Putty Passiv has been designed to sit within the landscape, blending into its surroundings and positioned away from sightlines from Putty Valley Road.
Adhering to the Passivhaus framework, the design of the home reflects a gradual evolution in thinking in response to bushfire resilience and environmental performance. The single storey bushland retreat comprises of two pavilions, with living, kitchen and dining spaces to the north and main entry, bathroom, mudroom/laundry, and bedrooms to the south.
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AIRTIGHTNESS n50 ACH@50pascals: 0.6ach@50pascals
HEATING DEMAND (kWh/m².yr): 13
COOLING DEMAND (kWh/m².yr): 13
HEATING LOAD (W/m²): 14
COOLING LOAD (W/m²): 23
PRIMARY ENERGY DEMAND (PE) (kWh/m².yr): 108
PRIMARY ENERGY RENEWABLE DEMAND (PER): 53
PRIMARY ENERGY RENEWABLE GENERATION (PER): 172 -
LOCATION: Putty, NSW
NCC CLIMATE ZONE: 4 – Hot dry summer, cool winter
NATHERS CLIMATE ZONE: 28 Richmond
YEAR OF COMPLETION: 2025
TREATED FLOOR AREA (PHPP sqm): 139.4
PROJECT TYPE: New Build
RESIDENTIAL: Single Dwelling
CONSTRUCTION TYPE: Timber Frame, Prefab
CERTIFICATION LEVEL/ ENERGY STANDARD: Passivhaus Plus
THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATIONS: Nathers -
PREFAB ELEMENTS: Prefab floors, walls and roof panels
MHRV SYSTEM: Stiebel Eltron LWZ 280
DOMESTIC HOT WATER SYSTEM: Sanden Eco Plus 315 Litre Heat Pump
EXTERIOR WALL TYPE, U-VALUE: Timber framed, 0.241
FLOOR SLAB TYPE, U-VALUE: Timber framed, 0.167
ROOF INSULATION TYPE, MANUFACTURER: Knauf Sound Shield Plus
ROOF CONSTRUCTION: Timber framed
ROOF ENVELOPE U-VALUE: 0.162
WALL FRAME TYPE, U-VALUE: Timber framed, 1.310
GLAZING TYPE, MANUFACTURER, U W-VALUE, G-VALUE, U G-VALUE: Low-E Plus double glazing, AGG, 1.31, 0.58, 1.13
EXTERNAL DOOR TYPE, MANUFACTURER, U D-VALUE: UPVC, Kinzel Industries, 1.558 -
NUMBER OF MODULES: 42
HEIGHT, WIDTH OF ONE MODULE (m, m): 1.762, 1.134
EFFICIENCY: 96%
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The site for the home is quite sheltered, nestled in the valley floor. Although designing an off-grid home that is overshadowed by the hills adjacent may not sound like a great idea, this is where using Passivhaus Standard has been invaluable. The project team were able to determine very accurately how much renewable energy the home needed for heating, cooling, hot water, cooking and lighting, and then model how many solar panels to place on the shed roof, including the overshadowing effect of the hills in mid-winter, to supply all the homes energy.
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Intense bushfires of February 2018 left visible scorch marks and scars across the remaining trees and remnant bushland. In response, Putty Passiv has been designed diligently to ensure the safety of occupants and assets during bushfire events, while also providing for controlled, optional burning of surrounding bushland when appropriate. External façade materiality and fenestration schemes have been designed to provide both excellent interior environmental conditions and maximum protection of the dwelling in the event of a bushfire.
A unique aspect of this home is that it is one of the first Passivhaus-certified building in Australia to incorporate a fireplace. Traditionally, fireplaces conflict with the airtightness requirements of the Passivhaus Standard, but here the design was carefully resolved with direct fresh air supply and a certified ultra-low emissions (ULE) unit. The chosen fireplace, a Jotul F162, was deliberately low output to ensure it would not overheat the house, functioning instead as a comforting backup during the winter months rather than a primary heating source.
Project Members
PASSIVHAUS CERTIFIER: Hip V Hype
PASSIVHAUS CONSULTANT/ DESIGNER: Simon Anderson
ARCHITECT/ BUILDING DESIGNER/ PROJECT MANAGER/ ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT: Anderson Architecture
CONTRACTOR: Built By Eli
BUILDER: Eli Conroy
DEVELOPER: Owners
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Partridge Engineers
QUANTITY SURVEYOR: E- Construct
WINDOW SUPPLIER: Kinzel Industries
HRV SUPPLIER: Air We Care
AIRTIGHTNESS MEMBRANE SUPPLIER: Evan Graham Master Builder
INSULATION SUPPLIER: Knauf
BLOWER DOOR TESTER: Sydney Blower Door
PREFAB PANELS: Evan Graham Master Builder
PHOTOGRAPHER: Lachlan Kain