Ecohouse by Riddel Architecture, Queensland

The office of Riddel Architecture, Queensland, Australia, has completed work on a new high end private residence constructed almost entirely from the house it replaced. Situated in Hill End, inner Brisbane, Australia, the Hill End Ecohouse was built from recycled materials, using 95 percent of the salvaged material from the 19th century house that originally occupied its narrow riverfront site.

Riddel Architecture: „A painstaking deconstruction process resulted in just two small skips of non-reusable materials being discarded. All additional materials were locally sourced and have undergone rigorous assessment of their environmental, social and economic sustainability credentials.  Appliances were sourced to support local industry and reduce energy-miles. With sustainability at its core the Ecohouse holds a 6-star energy efficiency rating and is self sufficient without sacrificing its aesthetic beauty. We were dedicated to creating the greenest home possible without compromising style. The idea of deconstructing a previous property to create something new was really exciting to us.  We are pleased with how the house manages to fuse beauty with eco facilities.”

The design of the three-storey Ecohouse relates to the subtropical Australian climate with openings maximised to capture cool breezes, sun and daylight. The house is in two halves, connected by the Gallery breezeway, which acts as a funnel for fresh air. It is fully self sufficient in both water and power and has a monitoring system to measure the use of energy, gas and water as well as temperature and humidity.  

Riddel Architecture team, David Gole and Emma Scragg worked in collaboration with Robert Peagram Builders.


Photos: Christopher Frederick Jones