In response to the client’s needs and the site’s potential, the design manifests as an expert blend of contemporary aesthetics and passive design principles.

The architect specified AGG Insulglass LowE Plus^® Clear double glazing to maximise visual light transmittance and solar heat gain to passively warm the interior in cooler months. AGG’s LowE Plus is a soft coat glass makeup, rather than a regular hardcoat, so providing maximum thermal performance, clarity, and light transmittance.

All windows and doors were superbly manufactured by Ryan Murphy, at Shear Glass and Aluminium in Kirrawee, NSW. Sliding corner doors open to provide seamless indoor and outdoor living with flush floor levels. One of the standout features of this residence is its high clerestory windows. Strategically placed, these windows invite morning and afternoon light into the home.

They light up the interior spaces without admitting the summer heat, ensuring the house remains luminous and airy. Moreover, double glazing augments these windows’ performance, acting as a buffer to external temperature fluctuations. The result is a stabilised, ambient internal environment. This reduces the reliance on artificial climate control and ensures that when the air-conditioning operates in the summer and the floor heating in winter, the energy is utilised with maximum efficiency.

The upper floor takes the passive design a notch higher with motorised casement windows. These are designed to harness the mild summer northerly breeze, optimising natural ventilation. Such a design decision aligns with the home’s synergy with its environment. It’s not just about looking out at nature; it’s about letting nature in, allowing it to play an active role in the home’s comfort.

Safety, particularly for the family’s younger members, has been integrated seamlessly into the design. An expanse of doubled-glazed panes stretches across the rear of the house, providing an unobstructed view of the outdoor play, garden, and pool area from the kitchen. This visibility provides a pivotal safety feature, allowing constant supervision, and aesthetically, it further enhances the connection between the interior spaces and the outdoors.

Quality, locally supplied window systems manufactured by Shear Glass and Aluminium, featuring high performance IGU’s manufactured by AGG, has ensured this Yowie Bay residence provides optimal comfort, environmental connection, safety and sustainability.

“Our team were extremely proud to have worked on the project,” said Ryan. “The homeowner and architect had the foresight, and had researched the many benefits and improved comfort to be enjoyed when choosing quality window and glazing systems. It’s a win, win.”