The Wadestown House - Wellington

This new home has been designed to be self sufficient for heating and cooling
for all but the most extreme Wellington weather. The active solar design employs solar
absorbing tiled suspended slabs with fan forced air below carrying convected heat
to a basement "rock bin". The 20 tonnes of recycled concrete kerbblocks have a thermal storage
capacity of 200 normal electric nightstore heaters. A "smart" electrical network linking thermostats,
motorised windows and a reversible fan will manage the internal climate to stay within
predetermined comfort levels on most days.

photo: Courtesy of Aonui Architecture

By automatic or manual control of vents and dampers up to 5oC gains are anticipated in ambient
internal air temperatures over several cooler days following a winter sunny spell. Excess solar
heat is automatically ventedout in summer or drawn down into the rock bin in winter. Another
feature of the one room deep, north facing house is the solar water heating balustrade.
This is an example of established technology being integrated into the architecture to move beyond
the ad hoc, add-on, appearance of established solar roof collection units.

photo: Courtesy of Aonui Architecture

The balustrade, and its associated transparent "operable wall" of double glazed louvers,
typifies the innovative energy conscious design ideas available from Aonui Architecture and
signals the emergence of a new environmental sustainability aesthetic in New Zealand architecture.

Check the Aonui Website for more details:
www.aonui.co.nz/index.html

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Also, Check the EECA website at: www.eeca.govt.nz