Building an energy-efficient home does not need to cost the earth, literally and metaphorically. 

Architecta shows what’s possible in this beautiful Hoon Hay build.

If the Canterbury earthquakes have taught us anything, it’s how to be more resilient and to recognise what’s important in life. Having lived in a mate’s sleepout for several years after the earthquakes, Johnny and Debs Lineham were used to being flexible.

“We bought the 815 square metre Hoon Hay section for our home before we got married,” says Johnny. “After spending a lot of time living in that small space, we realised we didn’t need a lot of room. We knew we wanted to build a small and high-quality home that feels good to live in.”

Without a massive budget at their disposal, the couple set about investigating the benefits of building using passive home principles and liked what they found out. So, they set about the project of building a small, energy-efficient home with a thermal footprint that followed the passive standards.

The couple came across Susanne Schade, from Architecta, and they sensed Susanne’s synergy in their goals for the home.

“Susanne was great to work with,” says Johnny. “She understood our desire for a small, energy-efficient home that’s well designed and feels good to live in.”

Despite its relatively simple design of a rectangular box, the cleverness is in how the home is laid out inside, and how thermally efficient it is. Both architect, builder and client were driven by the idea of building small, and building better quality, with no wasted spaces.

Susanne says, “Even with a simple footprint, you can design something appealing, just with these simple eco-efficient changes.”

Aaron Stewart Builders has a history of constructing energy-efficient homes, and as a result, the team has extensive experience and knowledge in building high-performing homes using passive systems. Again, it was an excellent fit for Johnny and Debs to work with Aaron and his team. 

Aaron was delighted with the project. “The integration of European design principles and technologies, with savvy layouts and orientation, ensure a well-considered project,” he says.

Johnny and Debs felt similarly about working with Aaron Stewart Builders. “What really stood out to us was the way the whole team involved in our build worked together right from design stage,” says Debs. “We had joint discussions with the architect, engineer and builder early on which ultimately lead to a smoother build process and smarter solutions. We really felt like everyone was genuinely excited about creating something different and invested in the project’s success.”