Living in a healthy, comfortable home is what most of us desire. However, too many of our homes in Australia are not designed or built for our climate. They may be brand new, built to code and look to be of high quality, but they can still have negative effects on your family’s health and comfort.
Local boutique building company Jarrod Olsen & Co are leading by example in the rapidly growing international movement to address these issues. They are providing the Southern Highlands with world class homes that are healthy for us and the planet.
It’s a paradigm shift from building to Australian standards to building above the International Passivhaus Standard. As company owner Jarrod Olsen explains, they are committed to their cause,
‘To build a lovely house is one thing. To know we have created a healthy and beautiful home for families to live and thrive in for generations is so much more. If we are going to be building houses, we want them to be of the absolute highest quality for our client’s health and comfort, as well as being visually stunning. It is also really important for us that the structure is as functional and efficient as it can possibly be to reduce its impact upon the environment. We want our homes to be doing good, for everyone’.
To achieve these standards, the Jarrod Olsen & Co team are dedicated to high-end construction designed and built to the International Passivhaus Standard. According to Jarrod Olsen, Certified Passive Houses are the future of building,
‘With energy prices and extreme weather increasing, Certified Passive Houses deliver comfortable temperatures all year round with minimal heating and cooling requirements’.
All Certified Passive Houses are based on five key components; thermal insulation, high performance windows and doors, the elimination of thermal bridges, air-tightness and a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery (MVHR).
According to architect and Passivhaus specialist, Andy Marlow, a house built to the Passivhaus standard is very energy efficient and sustainable, but the biggest benefits to the homeowner are the comfort of the home and the positive health implications that a controlled indoor environment provides.
‘Once you have discovered the comfort of living in a Passive House, you will not want anything else. An airtight environment with a mechanical ventilation system that filters the air ensures a constant pleasant temperature and ultimate air quality’.
Andy has worked with Jarrod Olsen & Co on a number of their Passivhaus builds, including the first Certified Passivhaus in the Southern Highlands in 2022 that he designed.
The bespoke masterpiece, aptly named ‘The Passive House’, graces the landscape of Robertson, demonstrating a harmonious blend of sustainability and architectural excellence. Architect Andy Marlow explains that the certification process gives their clients quality assurance of their build.
‘It is definitive proof that we have produced the desired outcome for them. Buildings are modelled prior to construction and then tested and verified during and upon completion by an independent certifier. On the ‘Passive House’ project the Jarrod Olsen & Co team took our designs and modelling and delivered a superb building, that when tested had excellent outcomes. The blower door test far exceeded the Certified Passivhaus requirements and the craftsmanship was excellent’.
On another Jarrod Olsen & Co Certified Passivhaus project in the Southern Highlands, the airtightness test was incredibly impressive.
It measured approximately 75 times more airtight than the average Australian house, and well and truly surpassed all Certified Passivhaus requirements. As energy prices soar, there is growing demand for Certified Passive buildings that are able to deliver such impressive levels of efficiency.
In areas like the Southern Highlands where many properties are reliant purely on solar energy either by choice or by limited resources in remote locations, Certified Passivhaus are the perfect solution. Their modelling and construction drastically reduces the amount of energy required for heating and cooling infrastructure. Giving access to such effective solutions is something architect Andy Marlow is passionate about.
‘As an architect I feel a responsibility to craft designs that will deliver the most efficient building envelope possible. As a Passive House designer I want to help other architects ensure their designs achieve the same results’.
Consulting to other architects in Passivhaus design has enabled Envirotecture to expand their impact, ensuring the highest level of efficiency across the industry. They also promote the role of ‘EnerPHit’, taking an existing house and retrofitting it whilst applying Passivhaus principles. This gives the entire community, even those with pre-existing structures, access to the benefits of a Passivhaus.
EnerPHit can be a complicated process when working with the constraints of an existing building. For Jarrod Olsen & Co the results are worth every bit of the challenge. In a recent local barn, EnerPHit, they were able to deliver their clients’ request for a large black metal clad structure with an elegant climate controlled interior that requires minimal cooling or heating.
Jarrod takes great pride in his team’s commitment to delivering excellence on all builds, new or retrofits.
‘We appreciate the unique challenges and opportunities that come with revitalising existing spaces, and we embrace these with enthusiasm and expertise. Whether it’s breathing new life into an older home, expanding for growing families, or creating additional functional spaces, we take pride in transforming your vision into a reality while maintaining the highest standards of craftsmanship and design’.
Jarrod Olsen & Co together with Envirotecture are gifting the Southern Highlands with an opportunity to indulge in the experience of entering a completed Certified Passivhaus and to truly understand the difference this superior building process produces.
Curious to experience a Passivhaus up close? Come see it for yourself.
On February 9 they will be opening the doors of one of their bespoke builds at Wallaby Hill Farm near Robertson.
This is a rare offering for anyone interested in Certified Passivhaus design and building processes. Jarrod, Andy and their experienced teams will be available to discuss the project on the day and you will be given a guided tour of ‘The Passive House’. House tours are FREE, but bookings are essential as there will be limited numbers available. You can book and plan your visit here.
In conjunction with the Passivhaus tours, Wallaby Hill Farm are hosting on the same day an Equestrian Extravaganza. Show jumping with a fancy dress twist!
Spectators are welcome free of charge. Lunch, coffee and bar options will be available on the day. Purchasing a VIP picnic basket will guarantee you a prime position close to the arena to see all the action, they are available to pre-order online.
For more information visit: www.wallabyhill.com.au
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