Life On The Edge

Renovating a dated waterfront home into a luxurious, six-level, sustainable residence is a task in itself. Add the challenges of dramatic terrain and a steep escarpment that plunges towards the sun-dappled waterways of historic Ku-ring-gai National Park in Sydney’s north and the challenge is considerably amplified. That was the brief for this stunning dwelling in the magical setting of Cottage Point.

Surrounded by unspoilt bushland, this architecturally inspired home is designed with its immediate environment firmly in mind. The planning and implementing of environmental protection measures was also an important part of the construction, to ensure minimal impact to the site and the local fauna. The success of the project hinged on sourcing the right window and door products to ensure it took full advantage of the spectacular views while achieving the BASIX ratings and meeting weather performance needs. Building Designer, Colin Anlezark from e-tecture architects, in conjunction with the builder, DPM Consultancy Services Pty Ltd, achieved this objective through the use of Elevate™ high-performance window and door products from Hanlon Windows.

The Elevate™ products were also chosen for their extreme strength in exposed locations. The building’s designer, builder and owner were all impressed with the high level of customer service from Hanlon Windows, whose knowledge, experience and professional approach proved invaluable throughout the lengthy construction process. The windows and doors had to achieve low U-values in accordance with BASIX, but also allow plenty of natural light to enter the building for passive solar heat gain.

The Elevate™ range combined with Viridian’s ComfortPLUS Clear glass provides the perfect solution and exceeds the levels required to pass the thermal efficiency section of BASIX. To create a seamless connection between the outside world and internal spaces, the main living area boasts wide, arched ceilings that use Elevate™ Series 400 CentreGLAZE™ fixed frame aluminium windows - an innovative selection of framing and architectural products that deliver superior performance, reliability, expansive panel sizes and contemporary architectural styling.

The large expanses of arched glazing allow light to enter the building, whilst the high-performance aluminium frames and ComfortPlus LowE glass improve insulation, retain the ambient temperature of the internal living areas and reduce overall energy costs. The lower level of the home utilises Elevate™ Series 411 Bi-fold aluminium doors which open out onto a paved entertaining area. These are a top hung, heavy duty doors designed to accept large panels to maximise opening sizes. The second level bedrooms use Series 467 Casement aluminium windows to great effect, capturing passing breezes and assisting with passive cooling. The windows have integrated Truth™ hardware, which provide unmatched elegance and performance while enhancing the windows’ overall appearance. The larger areas of glass on the northern side give easy access to winter sun to heat up the internal areas. This heat is stored during the day and released in the evening. The use of high-performance glass allows better retention of the heat gain within the internal spaces. Abundant full-height glass aids in this process, whilst adding to the feeling of connectivity between outside and inside.

The extensive renovations have resulted in a beautiful waterfront property, which is both comfortable to live in and extremely energy efficient.