The Passive House on the Cliff

This architectural project was the most prominent one that I worked on at Noho Architecture - and although it is not based on the design of a digital product, the design is deeply human centred and demonstrates research, iteration, and testing.

The design brief was to create a certified Passive House, for our lovely clients Greg and Annie to spend the rest of their lives in, able to age in place in their community. Located on an extremely challenging site and with advanced sustainability features, this project was to bring Greg’s vision of a sustainable future to life.

Skills Demonstrated:

  • Design thinking + Iterative Process.

  • Pioneering Passive House data analysis techniques, applied to uncover design solutions.

  • Project Management + Agile Methodology.

  • Liaising with senior industry consultants + Interdisciplinary Professionals.

  • Working within complex constraints to a changing brief.

  • Empathy in Design in a deeply human centred project.

Project Stages I was involved in:

Sketch Design

Research. Ideation. Iteration.

I joined the team towards the end of the sketch design phase, however the iterative design process continued throughout the entire time I was involved.

At this stage, I personally undertook research and reviewed the design to meet accessibility and ageing in place requirements.

DA Submission

As a residential architecture project, we were required to submit all documentation for council approval.

  • Project management - I was promoted to project lead at this stage, and took charge of the DA submission timeline, using agile methodology to keep the project on track for the creation and review of deliverables.

  • Visual presentation and communication of the design, to strict council criteria.

  • Collaboration with highly skilled and experienced team of engineers and sustainability specialists.

  • I liaised directly with council, adapting to and negotiating planning development controls.

Construction Documentation

  • Delving further into the details of the building - learning Passive House construction methods, and further collaborating with consultants and specialists

  • Applying this information to create documentation detailed enough to build from.

Passive House Certification

  • As the team lead on all Passive House certified projects, I was tasked with completing all analysis using DesignPH and PHPP software - inputting detailed data on all construction elements, with the program then indicating if the project passed passive house standard.

  • I researched all necessary information from suppliers, manufacturers, and engaged with consultants to ensure accuracy of data.

  • Throughout the Sketch design and DA stages, it was necessary to research how each product or element contributed to the overall energy balance of the house, testing rigorously.

How I worked with the team

I worked as a technician and researcher under lead Architect Justine Money, and moved into Project Lead position after completing Passive House analysis training. I completed the majority of documentation and modelling, and managed project delivery and sprints throughout DA and construction stages, motivating the technician and graduate team through obstacles.

Teamwork skills were imperative as design iterations were undertaken collaboratively. I am grateful to have learned from Justine's expertise, as she refined ideas in creative meetings.

I enjoyed the challenge of adapting to complex Passive House and solar analysis techniques, and loved training colleagues in these skills, which I championed in this project.

I collaborated with interdisciplinary industry professionals, as the main contact point of our Council Planner and Passive House Certifier. I also was in constant communication with the project engineer, prefab panel manufacturer, and suppliers.

a greyscale image of the Noho team discussing the project in a meeting
a greyscale image of Carolyn working in the Noho office
a greyscale image of Carolyn making a wooden model of the project

Research

As the architecture team, our role was to act as intermediary between the clients and all consultants and contractors. It was also crucial to maintain a reassuring presence throughout the entire process, ensuring to bridge knowledge gaps to give a warm and supportive client experience.

Thorough research was therefore integral in the design process, and our roles as architects.

The Clients

Greg and Annie represent one of our key client personas - so it was not only important to assess their needs in the context of this project, but also for future business goals.

Delving deeper into the process…

The Site

The site was challenging, with many constraints requiring further research:

  • Cantilever - Due to limited build space at the top of the cliff, the building was to be cantilevered over the edge. This required careful consultation with engineers.

  • BAL FZ rating - As the highest bushfire rating, this limited many design choices.

  • Our team analysed a geotech report on the stability of the rocky site.

  • Council planning laws had to be researched and considered, eg. front and side setbacks, height limits, Floor space ratio.

Accessibility and Ageing in Place

Although it was not required for the project to reach government accessibility certification level, I assessed the design against NDIS accessible housing standards to ensure flexibility well into the future.

Provisions were made for the inclusion of a stair lift, with research into different brand options and load requirements. Great attention to detail went into designing bathrooms that complied with door opening widths and accessibility requirements.

I was extremely passionate about working on the clients’ wish to age in place, and future proof their home not only for the planet’s future, but for their own.

Passive House Research

Passive House Certification is relatively new in Australia, and is far above the national standards for energy efficiency. This definitely created a challenging design process, as strict criteria needed to be met at every single stage, and research was undertaken to make sure every material and construction detail matched the high standards of PH.

As this was to be Noho Architecture's first PH certified project, all research was to serve as a benchmark for future projects, as I gathered information for our company knowledge base, and created training material.

Creating a High Tech Home

As a home built completely from scratch, Greg and Annie were excited about enhancing the usability of their home by incorporating automated elements. Our team facilitated meetings with a smart home consultant, to identify the right apps and services to align with their needs.

Design Solution

  • Site Plan

  • Site Section

  • Ground Floor Plan

  • First Floor Plan

  • North-West Elevation

  • North-East Elevation

Prototyping + Testing

All design iterations were created first as sketch prototypes on paper, tracing over plans to scale, then translated into Vectorworks software to become a digital set of plans.

These design iterations were tested in 2d as plans, reviewed between team members in the studio, then presented to the clients for feedback. Further testing was completed in 3d:

Passive House Testing:

The main Passive House prototyping method was a 3D model of the building using sketchup and the DesignPH plugin, that allowed preliminary analysis of Passive House performance. This gave us measurable results, allowing the comparison of different window options, shading methods, and construction methods.

Shading Data Analysis:

I created numerous digital models of the building at various iterations, to test the effects of shade placements on the light entering the building. This allowed me to turn data into meaningful visualisations, allowing greater stakeholder engagement and informing new design decisions.

Physical Model:

I used physical modelling to prototype the design, allowing a visual connection between the clients and the design at an early stage. This was such a great conversation piece during meetings, clearly visually communicating the design and engaging everyone in a tactile way.

Key Learnings

  • Project Management + Team Leadership

    I learned that leadership mostly involves active listening; making team members feel heard, supported and respected.

    I found that my enthusiasm for the project and genuine interest made my leadership guidance stronger and more reassuring.

  • Empathetically Engaging with the Clients Vision

    This project helped me to hone my spoken and visual communication skills, and I found I was able to connect with the clients in their own style.

  • Learning New Software + Data Analysis

    I learned a large amount of technical knowledge beyond the Australian standards, and was able to discuss this in detail with consultants.

  • Adaptability to Setbacks and Ambiguity

    Due to difficult council constraints and complex requirements in a changing brief, I adapted to changes in the design, remaining agile through multiple redesigns.

  • Aligning with Business Goals

    I implemented techniques into our business strategy that increased efficiency in future projects.

    I assisted our business management team in revising fee proposal structure for Passive House certified projects.

  • Mentorship

    I was given the opportunity to mentor team members about techniques I had learned, creating written and video tutorials for our knowledge base.