At some point, we've all considered our dream home. Maybe it has a huge kitchen, fit for entertaining. Perhaps it's an amazing home theater, a swimming pool, or another feature that would surely make neighbors envious.
Well, an Australian homebuilder took that one step further. Not only did Jesse Glascott design and build his family's dream home, but he also made it a dream for the planet.
As The Design Files reported, Glascott built his home in the Melbourne suburb of Warrandyte as a passive house. This means it requires little energy to stay at a comfortable temperature, instead relying on its airtight, leak-free design, high-performance doors and windows, and balanced interior ventilation.
More specifically, Glascott's home has been recognized as one of Australia's few Passivhaus Premium projects, which is only given to homes that generate far more energy than they use.
"The design prioritizes passive solar performance, with northern orientation to capture winter sun, and carefully sized eaves to block heat during summer," Glascott told The Design Files.
Known as Panel House, the passive home balances stunning design with eco-friendly features.
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The look is a striking contrast of black elements and mass-produced timber (chosen to minimize waste and building time). It features tons of natural light throughout and even has a shipping container-turned-pool house in the backyard.
It also has a 20-kilowatt solar panel system to generate its own electricity and a rainwater-collection system that can store and filter more than 10,000 gallons of water.
Building the home was a passion project for Glascott, who also founded Australia's Sustainable Builders Alliance. And it shows a possible evolution in the future of homebuilding.
Just in the United States, new home construction is responsible for an estimated 50 million tons of carbon pollution each year, equivalent to the annual output of countries like Norway and Sweden.
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But passive homes show that home construction can be done in a responsible way, with results that are equally stunning and sustainable.
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