The living pavilion faces both the street and the backyard, acknowledging its Northern orientation and tight-knit community, while preserving access to a rear courtyard, outdoor dining area, and orchard beyond. The bedrooms extend around the courtyard in a U-shaped manner, providing acoustic separation without loss of visual connection between spaces. The plan also tiptoes between trees, twisting to avoid significant root zones, and minimising impact further via pier footing systems.

The building fabric strategically employs key Passive House principles to achieve maximum gain for minimum cost. These include precise taping of the external membrane and thorough draft sealing to achieve an air tightness level of 3.0 ACH50, with accompanying mechanical ventilation heat recovery system to ensure a steady stream of fresh air without unwanted heat gain or loss.

Walls were thickened, allowing for higher than normal R4 insulation, with the roof and floor each containing R8 bulk insulation. Windows are high-insulating quality double glazed units, with carefully tuned shading to avoid unwanted solar gain in Summer.

The house was built via a panelised approach due to limited street access. This allowed for building elements to push generously beyond standard module sizes. Exposed Victorian Ash rafters provide a natural richness to the living areas, with interior design by Alison Lewis Design. Orchard House sits in harmony with the garden landscaping by Sam Cox.

The project value $1,400,000 including GST. Artworks by Erin Armstrong and Abas Mariam.