Pepper Tree Passive House, by Alexander Symes Architect, is a small secondary dwelling to a young family’s home in the Australian Illawarra region, perched on a steep site and elevated into the canopy of the site’s eponymous 60 year old Pepper Tree. Built to the international Passive House standard, true sustainability is at the core ethos of the project – embodied between the natural material palette, high performance design and strong biophilic connection.
While the existing home had a tired and thermally inefficient brick exterior, internally the home’s layout functioned perfectly for the young family. As a response, the project brief developed into one where the existing home had its external envelope upgraded – including new insulation where practical, a ventilated timber screen facade, new skylights, a wrap around deck and solar panel pergola – and a striking secondary dwelling was designed around the 60 year old Pepper Tree in the steeply sloping and under-utilised rear yard. The secondary dwelling was envisioned as a 24-hour space; used as a home office by the family’s growing business during the day, and a short-term stay cabin at night. Designed and built to meet the Passive House standard, the short term stays allow visitors to experience the higher quality of space that the Passive House standard affords, while creating a future proofed studio with western views to Mount Kembla and the treetops outside. Each wing of the secondary dwelling hosts an endemic-planted green roof, allowing the biodiversity of the site to be regenerated despite the extended building footprint created.
Photography : Barton Taylor
Client / Builder : Souter Built
