Altair louvre windows from Breezway were incorporated into the Barossa House located in the Barossa Valley in South Australia to encourage natural ventilation.
Nestled into a hilltop, the Barossa House offers panoramic views over the famous South Australian Wine Region. The house has been designed by Max Pritchard Architect with five level changes following the slope of the land along its length, with a continuous timber ramp linking the different levels.
Design highlights of the house include tapered eaves and earth berming around the eastern and southern walls accentuating its sleek linear form in the landscape; courtyards on both sides of the house providing sheltered outdoor spaces depending on wind direction; steel roofing rolled directly onto the roof allowing continuous sheets that fall to a generous gutter; and a prominent custom stainless steel rainhead.
Several active and passive environmental solutions are at work in the house including the linear form allowing every room to face north and letting winter sun heat up the house with generous eaves providing summer shade. Tall, narrow Altair louvre windows have been incorporated next to large fixed glass panels to assist with natural ventilation when required.
Features also include concrete floor and berming along the southern and eastern walls providing thermal mass to counter temperature extremes; efficient hydronic underfloor heating system supplementing heating in winter; roof mounted photovoltaic cells providing power to the house; and rainwater collected from the roof for use in the house and around the property.
