Currently under construction in Ballarat, Excel House brings together rigorous Passivhaus design and thoughtful accessibility. Targeting Passivhaus certification, it is designed to deliver year-round comfort, healthy indoor air and lasting liveability through changing needs and a changing climate.
For our clients planning their move to Ballarat, an analytical mindset and an eye for detail made measured performance a natural priority. They wanted confidence that their new home would support a comfortable, independent life close to family, now and into the future.
Excel House takes its name from that ambition, and the spreadsheets behind it. The Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) uses Excel to model energy performance, helping quantify, optimise and refine design decisions. Here, careful calculations support something deeply personal: a home that makes everyday life better.
Targeting Passivhaus certification, the design combines an insulated slab, a highly insulated and airtight building envelope, high-performance glazing and continuous ventilation with heat recovery. Together, these measures support stable indoor temperatures, fresh air and low heating and cooling demand, helping the home withstand Ballarat’s cold winters and a changing climate.
Liveability is equally fundamental. Designed around the Livable Housing Australia guidelines, the single-storey layout includes generous circulation, wider doorways, bathroom grab rails and easy-to-use fixtures/fittings. Accessibility was integrated from the outset, supporting independence as needs change.
An enormous existing deciduous tree shapes the rear garden connection, offering summer shade and admitting winter sunshine. Carefully placed windows, external shading and sunny spaces for reading bring performance and pleasure together. White brick, charred timber cladding and a eucalyptus-green roof create a calming palette of materials/colours.
Every detail serves a shared purpose: helping this home excel as a comfortable, resilient and welcoming place to live.
