Garden House by Austin Maynard Architects
Sustainability, function and form come together at Garden House, designed by Austin Maynard Architects.
Words: Hande Renshaw | Photography: Derek Swalwell
Garden House was built around existing trees and an established garden. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
The main areas of the house are oriented toward the garden, bringing the outside in. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
Behind the facade of the modern white shingled cottage, located in the Melbourne suburb of Prahran, is the self-powered Garden House, designed by Austin Maynard Architects.
This is no ordinary home, but a high-tech design that produces more energy than it uses – with the excess going back into the shared energy grid.
The brief from the owners was to create ‘a super modern, high performing, highly sustainable, longterm family home, with the ability to change and adapt over time.’
Being a forever home for the family of five, the aim was to create a residence that supported their everyday lives, with an engrained adaptability to evolve and expand for incoming guests and entertaining.
As Garden House is completely self-powered, its owners pay nothing for fuel or power. While the average Australian home uses 19kWh of energy per day, Garden House produces 100kWh per day, and has a 26kWh Tesla battery.
The house creates enough energy to charge the family’s electric car and power the entire home (including hydronic heating, cooktops, ovens and a heated pool), has no gas connection and is fossil fuel free.
‘All power within the home is generated via the solar panel array and stored within a battery’, says Mark Austin, co-director of Austin Maynard Architects.
‘The house has 17kWh of solar panels facing north, east and west to maximise solar output throughout the day.’
Garden House paves the way for sustainable energy in residential homes, we couldn’t be more excited to see it unfold!
The orange bricks used extensively throughout the home are recycled. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
The interior materials, such as the timber and brickwork, were selected for their warmth. Furniture, art and objects; Simone Haag. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
The interior materials, such as the timber and brickwork, were selected for their warmth. Furniture, art and objects; Simone Haag. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
“The average Australian house uses 19kwh of energy per day. Garden House produces 100kwh per day and has a 26kwh Tesla battery.”
The living area. Furniture, art and objects; Simone Haag. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
The ultra-efficient home has been designed to feel warm and intimate. Furniture, art and objects; Simone Haag. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
A lightwell in the kitchen space looking out to the lush garden. Furniture, art and objects; Simone Haag. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
The kitchen is warm and masculine. Furniture, art and objects; Simone Haag. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
“The design breaks up the bulk of the house into four smaller scale zones, office, kitchen/living, dining and kids area – with smart interactions. ”
Design details link the structure. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
The upstairs open balcony area off the main bedroom, which overlooks the garden and pool. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
A two-car garage and workshop faces to the street, with an all purpose rumpus room behind and home office above. Photo: Derek Swalwell.