Ahuru - Passive House Plus, Raglan
By Tawa Architecture
Nestled into the land above Raglan harbour, Āhuru is an exquisitely detailed home designed to embrace both the beauty of its surroundings and high-performance Passive House principles. From the outset, this project was a perfect alignment between our team at Tawa Architecture and the homeowners, who were committed to creating a sustainable, energy-efficient home that would last for generations.
The clients, familiar with Passive House standards from their time in Canada, were set on building a home that met these principles. Their focus on long-term durability guided key material choices, such as brick cladding and zinc roofing—ideal for the coastal, high-wind zone conditions of their property.
The design process was a collaboration rooted in patience and careful planning. Several years passed from initial discussions to the start of drawings, allowing the clients time to camp on the land and truly understand the site. This insight, paired with our frequent site visits, enabled us to carefully position the home to capture the best views and environmental benefits.
Sustainable Engineering Ltd provided custom thermal bridge modelling, which was essential given the steel portals needed for wind loadings and the large pergola shading the northern and western sides of the home. Their modelling helped refine connections between the home’s structure and the covered walkway, ensuring thermal performance was maximized.
With Passive House Plus certification as a target, the project already included PV for electricity generation, and the addition of just four more panels allowed the home to exceed efficiency targets. We opted for a ground-mounted PV system, ensuring easier maintenance and roof preservation. This decision, along with excellent airtightness, minimized heat loss and kept energy demands low.
The home’s 143m² floor area is modest yet perfectly suited to the clients’ needs, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms designed for both present-day living and future flexibility. The interior fit-out reflects the clients’ design expertise, with locally sourced exposed concrete, extensive timber panelling, and intricate custom joinery—crafted by a master craftsman who regularly works on Tawa Architecture projects.
In keeping with our commitment to sustainability, Āhuru features a vermiculture-based wastewater treatment system, permeable paving, rainwater harvesting, and toxin-free timber products.
Named after the Māori word meaning "warm, cosy, and comfortable," Āhuru exemplifies everything we strive for at Tawa Architecture: a beautiful, sustainable home that will serve its owners for generations to come.
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Welcome to Tawa Architecture, where elevated architectural design meets proven performance. Based in the beautiful Waikato region, we specialise in Passive House, High-Performance, and SIPs architectural design and build. When you choose Tawa Architecture, you're choosing a team of experts dedicated to creating sustainable, energy-efficient, and stunning spaces that truly reflect your vision.
Our services include bespoke architectural and interior design tailored to your unique requirements, as well as Passive House design that prioritises energy efficiency and comfort. With our experienced and highly qualified team, you can trust us to deliver exceptional results that surpass your expectations. Let us bring your dream home to life with our focus on quality, sustainability, and eco-friendly practices.
TAWA Architecture is led by director and designer Brooke Cholmondeley-Smith. With over 25 years of national and international experience, Brooke brings exceptional expertise in architectural and interior design, specialising in high-performance and Passive Homes, as well as SIPs construction. TAWA Architecture are dedicated to all aspects of design and sustainable technologies, ensuring that every project combines innovation, efficiency, and beautiful design.
Certified Passive Homes
As Certified Passive House Designers, TAWA is passionate about creating homes that are both enduring in design and highly sustainable. Brooke achieved Passive House Certification and completed the first Passive House in the Waikato in 2011. As pioneers in this building method, TAWA is dedicated to using the latest technology to ensure homes are timeless, incredibly energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly. Passive Homes offer superior energy efficiency, exceptional indoor air quality, and enhanced thermal comfort - setting the standard in sustainable living.
High-Performance Homes
Specialists in designing high-performance residential homes, Tawa Architecture ensures the success of their projects by partnering and aligning with Certified Passive House Tradesmen. This crucial collaboration between a qualified builder and designer guarantees that every detail is meticulously planned and executed, resulting in homes that achieve the highest standards of energy efficiency and sustainability. By incorporating advanced building techniques and materials, TAWA Architecture’s expertise ensures reduced energy consumption, lower utility costs, and a smaller environmental footprint. Their high-performance designs also prioritise durability, strength, and overall occupant well-being, creating healthier and more sustainable living environments.
SIPs Construction
Tawa’s knowledge and understanding of Passive principles strongly informs their design approach giving them a critical understanding of thermal modelling using PHPP software, airtight and thermal-bridge free construction. This experience enables them to seamlessly integrate these principles into the SIPs framework which offers them a huge advantage to deliver exceptionally built bespoke architecturally designed homes that are not only beautiful but outperform standard methods of construction on many levels.
- Year founded2016
- ArchiPro Member since2017
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