Home & Leisure Show: October 01, 2020

home & leisure | 47
This house is 99 per cent sustainable.”
Chris’s commitment to those principles led
to the home being the Lifestyle Award winner
for a Sustainable Home and the Silver Award
winner in the Canterbury section of the 2017
Master Builders House of the Year competition.
Energy efficient, it has R3.6 spray foam
insulation in the walls and R5 in the ceiling, the
window frames are PVC rather than aluminium,
and there is a heat-recovery ventilation system
that distributes clean air throughout the home.
A wood-burning fire and a small heat pump are
there to provide additional heating if necessary.
“The temperature is between 18 and 22
degrees all year round and the humidity is
45 to 55 per cent, which meets world health
standards.”
Hot water is supplied with the 1.8-kilowatt
solar thermal panels on the roof, plus there are
3.2-kilowatt photovoltaic panels.
“The house is air-tight, but it’s not a passive
house,” says Chris. “It’s comfortable to live in
and affordable to run. Our power bill averages
out at $60 to $80 a month.”
Scratch Architecture designed the timberclad
board and batten house, which fits into
its seaside environment with ease. As Chris
explains: “I wanted to build a beach-style house
in a lovely part of the city, New Brighton, which
is an up-and-coming growth area for families.”
The scene is set with native grasses lining the
driveway leading up to the house, where angled
steps take you up to the imposing front door.
Imported from China, this unique statement
piece opens to a front entrance way surprisingly
lined with weatherboard.
“I wanted to have the feeling of going into a
bach,” Chris says.
A small hallway, again lined with
weatherboard, leads into the large open-plan
kitchen/living area. An expansive concrete
bench takes centre stage in the kitchen area and
is one of Chris’s favourite pieces in the home.
“It’s a one-off, and it took seven people to
lift it in,” he says. A double sink was put in at
Chris’s request.
Behind the gas cooktop and electric oven the
tile splashback adds colour and practicality.
All the fittings
in both the en
suite and family
bathroom are
standard and
readily available.
Needing Landscaping?
• Landscape Design
• Decks/Pergolas/Paving
• Irrigation Systems
• Plant Supply & Planting
• Ready/Hydro/Artificial Lawn
• Digger & Truck Hire
The Landscape Specialists
2018 Landscapes of Distinction Awards
Silver Medallists
Phone: 03 349 4363
Email: greenscapes@xtra.co.nz
www.greenscapes.co.nz