Seven years on: Lessons from Sydney's first certified Passivhaus

What makes a great home? We believe the real measure of success isn't just how a home looks when it's finished, but how it feels to live in, year after year.

That's why we're delighted to see our Thornleigh Passivhaus featured in Sustainable House Day's Field Notes series, with homeowner Matthew Kosnik sharing his family's experience of living in Sydney's first certified Passivhaus, completed in 2019.

Designed by Envirotecture and built by Red Cedar Constructions, this pioneering home was created to provide exceptional comfort, fresh air, quiet and energy efficiency on a challenging site between a busy road and railway line.

Seven years on, the results speak for themselves.

Matthew has diligently monitored the home's performance, revealing that indoor temperatures have remained between 20°C and 25°C for 93% of the time since March 2020. Its actual energy performance has also closely matched the original modelling.

But beyond the numbers, it's the everyday experience that matters most. The peaceful interior, comfortable temperatures through Sydney's hot summers and cool winters, and the simple pleasure of living in a home that works.

For us, there's nothing more valuable than hearing directly from the people who live in the homes we design. Their experiences help us continually learn and improve, while giving future clients confidence that the benefits of thoughtful, high-performance design are real, measurable and enduring.

We're grateful to Matthew and Katherine for generously sharing their home, their data and their honest reflections, helping others understand what's possible.

Read the full homeowner story on Sustainable House Day

Or explore our Thornleigh Passivhaus project to learn more about the design.

‍