When Dana, a transportation company owner, and Hugh, an electrician, sought an energy-efficient, all-electric Melbourne home for their young family and dog, they envisioned a space that was open, bright, and comfortable. Enter Hope House, the Tesla Model Y of homes as architect Nicola Dovey of Drawing Room Architecture describes it. Because, when your home is all electric, powered by the sun and renewables, you can justify a bit of luxury...
The existing house, in a heritage zone, was beautiful, but beyond repair. To retain the existing, it required stripping back to the bones and replacing a lot of the structure and fabric of the home from the ground up. “The benefit of stripping so much of the older material was that floors, walls, and ceilings could be rebuilt fully insulated and draught-proofed, and door and window glazing could be replaced as double-glazed.” The result is four beautiful, well-proportioned rooms and a central hall at the front of the home that looks much as it would have a century ago, but now with cutting edge thermal performance.
The backyard is north-facing, so the ideal passive solar design response would be for the extension to be as wide as possible. Ideally, it would touch each side boundary to take up the whole width of the backyard and draw in as much northern light as possible. Unfortunately, this was not possible because heritage regulations required the new extension sit in line with the existing walls. The architect worked hard to convince the heritage advisor to allow the extension to extend 1 metre past the existing footprint. “To make the most of this concession, tall, wide windows line this northern corner on the ground and first floors to create a sun-drenched spot in the living room and a very sunny master bedroom”, the architect explains. “Tall windows line the majority of the eastern façade tasked to deliver daylight.”
The existing front two rooms are south (and street facing), so they have been repurposed as a guest bedroom and second living area, while the remaining existing rooms are now a bathroom, staircase, and study.
The new build forms an L shape, optimising views of the garden and pool. Planter boxes and concrete paving cutouts ensure a lush, green environment around the home, while a pergola will allow deciduous creepers to provide shaded outdoor dining in summer, while still letting the sunshine in during the winter. The result is a 3-bathroom, 4-bedroom home with guest quarters, multiple living spaces, and a generous garage for cars, bikes, and tools. There’s even space for a cubby house!
Hope House, the all-electric haven, is powered by a solar-panelled roof. The home features heat-pump hot water, induction cooking, hydronic heating, and split system cooling. A hydronic slab ensures thermal comfort year-round.
Working closely with Dana and Hugh, the architects crafted a home that perfectly fits their lifestyle. The open-plan kitchen, butler’s pantry, and dining area are ideal for family gatherings, while the study and master retreat offer peaceful work-from-home spaces. The home's sustainable features, like water collection and reuse systems, align with the clients' eco-conscious values.
“This house is the Tesla Model Y of homes—a mid-sized, luxury, all-electric home. We often talk about small footprint homes—but, when it is all-electric, why not go luxury mid-sized! When the large roof is covered in solar panels and capturing maximum water for toilet flushing, laundry washing, and irrigating the garden, why not? When the walls, ceilings, and floors, existing and new, are packed with insulation and the slab is hydronically heated to keep the home warm in the cold months, space as long as it is smart, is there to be enjoyed. - Drawing Room Architecture
The home is designed to operate with minimal energy and stay comfortable year-round without the need for a lot of additional heating and cooling. By orienting as much of the living area as possible towards the north, ensuring cross ventilation often over plants for additional natural cooling, shade awnings, light-coloured cladding, and full-height curtains with recessed pelmets, the home has all the right passive solar design features.
Hope House shows how a mid-sized home can be as environmentally friendly, comfortable and luxurious, blending heritage charm with modern sustainability. Drawing Room Architecture has created a home where comfort, style, and eco-friendliness coexist, providing a beautiful, functional space for Dana, Hugh, and their family to enjoy for years to come.
