The Shed House

This new home is perfect for the shy and retiring farmers in Central Victoria.

It took many years of deliberation before the old cottage that had served as home for over 36 years was finally committeed to demolition. In the end the cost and benefits of starting anew won out but with a strong ethic of 'waste not - want not', as much as possible was salvaged by the local demoliton and recycling yard. The four chimneys that couldn't be incorporated into the new plan were dismantled brick by brick and incorporated into a lovely feature wall providing thermal mass into the living room.

The new home is a simple 3 bedroom design incorporating sound solar passive design with large north facing windows into the living area. It also incorporates 'housing for life' principles so that this home will meet the owners' changing needs as they grow older.

This was no accident! Taking the time to plan in the early stages has paid dividends.

In August, at 6pm after returning from a holiday, the owner was thrilled to find a lovely warm home: "I walked inside and thought someone had kindly lit the heater for our arrival, only to find that it had been the sun - it's just fabulous!"

This house was designed by the owners in consultation with FindingNorth and drawn up by a draftsman. A sympathetic builder was used who was committed to quality workmanship. Product choices were tweaked throughout the project.

NB: The final touch will be the north shading for summer - the look of which is still being decided!