We were commissioned by clients for this sustainable home design in the Highlands at the Ecovillage in Currumbin Valley, on the Gold Coast.  Our clients were in the process of relocating their growing family from Sydney to the Gold Coast.  The project involved liaising with the clients in Sydney, and managing the process on the Gold Coast.

The home is designed around a central 2 storey core.

This is comprised of a central dining room which is overlooked by a 2nd storey family room. This 2 storey space opens north to the sun and breezes with a 5m high retractable glass door.  It also captures the panoramic views to the Pacific Ocean at Currumbin Alley, over both levels of the house.  This dining space is flooded with winter sun (this photo taken mid-winter by the clients).  But excludes all summer sun, and is central to the house over both levels.  Linking living to kitchen and dining room.  And upstairs connecting (yet separating) the kid’s rooms and parent’s retreat.

Central 2 storey dining court, flooded with warming winter sun.

Other Features

The house includes other features such as recycled timbers, custom leadlight windows, and feature recycled entry door, which the client sourced.

We designed the position of the leadlight features to face the rising and setting sun.  The patterning of the leadlight tracking the start and end of each day, and changing with each season.

Leadlight artwork tracing the course of the day through the home, and shifting with the course of the seasons.

We designed this house to maximise solar access in winter and limit heat gain in summer, with thermal mass built into the structure to assist with stabilising the house temperature without air conditioning.   For more details on this aspect of the sustainable home design, refer also to our blog: Highlands Retreat, ecovillage, Currumbin Valley, Gold Coast

The house is designed to be staged to suit the client’s budget.  It incorporates systems such as on site sewerage, significant amounts of tank water storage, solar pv power and solar hot water.

The home is designed to embrace both its view and site, including features such as an outdoor spa bath on the deck, with views to the ocean.

Spa bath located on an upper storey deck, embraces views locally to the fig tree and site, as well as distant views to the ocean.

The upper level is a mix of low maintenance materials (such as the customorb wall cladding) and hardwood features, for warmth