Sanctuary: Passivhaus revival

The decorative facade of this 1884 terrace house in Balmain, Sydney, gives no hint as to what’s now behind: a spacious three-storey family home that’s comfortable, healthy and energy-efficient.The house has undergone a refurbishment that meets EnerPHit requirements, thePassive House standard for retrofits. It shows that even old, draughty and mould-prone houses can be transformed to meet rigorous performance standards.

Envirotecture's Andy Marlow consulted on this project, providing Passivhaus design services.