© Sean Fennessy
- Architects: Cumulus Studio
- Location: Hobart TAS 7000, Australia
- Architect In Charge: Alex Nielsen, Liz Walsh
- Area: 62.0 sqm
- Project Year: 2015
- Photographs: Sean Fennessy
- Builder: Cordwell Land Builders , Foreman Andrew Hilder
- Engineer Structural, Civil, Hydraulic: Aldanmark Consulting Engineers. Matt Webster Engineer
© Sean Fennessy
From the architect. Passive Energy Design
The barns orientation is northwest, however the living areas and courtyard face northeast. The new pivot door and the majority of the glazed opening are located on the northeast elevation allowing light and warm to penetrate the living spaces. The thermal mass of the nominally 400mm of the sandstone and brick cavity walls moderate the temperature during both summer and winter. Solid manually operable ventilation panels and a mezzanine skylight, allow for passive cross ventilation is summer and a small wood stove heats the barn in winter.
Plan 1
Plan 2
Material
The original barn was constructed of sandstone and brick with a lime render internally and externally, the ad hoc mixture of brick and stone suggest the barn was thrown together out of available materials at the time. The original floor is red brick, the stalls are timber boards with steel fixing and the roof is timber construction with timber shingles over (see internally).
© Sean Fennessy
We added a floating, Tasmania Oak, timber floor, a new galvanized corrugated iron roof and glazed the original opening. Internally we tried to keep the plasterboard to a minimum (only lining 3 walls in total), instead opting for Tasmania Oak timber boards and tiles in the bathroom. We arranged the spaces to be divided by joinery rather the walls; we have used Tasmanian Oak veneer and tiles in the kitchen and white 2 pac in the mezzanine bedroom
© Sean Fennessy
Flooring
The majority of the existing flooring was left unfinished; the new Tasmanian Oak flooring was finish with a waterborne two component top cost called Traffic HD by Bona. The large concrete threshold space has been left unfinished.
© Sean Fennessy
Glazing
Bespoke Tasmanian Oak frames with Viridian EVantage double glazed panels with low e coating, – colour clear. Ventilation panels within windows are marine plywood with Feast Watson Decking oil coating.
© Sean Fennessy
Heating and Cooling
The heating and cooling strategy is relatively low tech. in summer the thick sandstone walls provide thermal mass and the deep window reveals protect against the summer sun, at night we purge the space by opening the mezzanine level skylights and ventilation panels. The deciduous plane tree located in the courtyard also shads the building against throughout summer and lets light through in winter.
© Sean Fennessy
Sig Nordal 