The Foxground Pavilion is a bespoke passive solar home built on an 80-acre property in Kiama, NSW. Owner-builder Joe Cato and his wife Maura had a vision of a four-bedroom, single storey rammed-earth home with a low-carbon footprint.
After meeting Evolution Window Systems at a Grand Designs expo, Joe worked with the fabricator to put together a window and door brief, the objective being to finalise a product that would perform the best thermally. This was primarily because the property was located in one of NSW’s wettest areas, receiving 2m of rain annually. The combination of double glazing and thermal break system became the obvious choice.
Commercial ThermalHeart Series 804 thermally broken 100mm CentreGLAZE framing from Architectural Window Systems was specified for the project for its ability to deliver excellent thermal performance. Recommended for commercial and high-end residential projects where heat or cold transfer needs to be minimised, thermally broken systems separate the inside and outside elements of the frame providing an insulator to minimise the transfer of heat or cold.
The Series 731 thermally broken sliding door used in the project reduces internal condensation and was also chosen because of its high 300Pa water resistance.
Large window spans facing south don’t contribute to a building from a passive solar design perspective but they do showcase the extraordinary view. Since the home had a north-facing frontage, it was designed to capture the winter sun in the living area; this included raising the ceiling height in the living area and utilising louvered windows.
Joe Cato appreciated the service provided by Evolution Windows, explaining that the fabricator accommodated changes to their construction program and scope of works admirably. In addition to providing excellent advice on their final specification, Evolution Windows also supplied products of exceptional quality from Architectural Window Systems, with the heat transfer properties of the windows and doors working as intended.
Image: The Foxground Pavilion (Photographer: Jon Harris Photography)
