Northcote Passive House

Northcote Passive House started with a dilapidated, small existing house — dark, cramped and awkward inside, on a block with real potential nobody had used yet: a park across the way with a canopy of trees to the north, and city views to the west.

The clients wanted classic, timeless design with a modernist touch — a simple, geometric form, clean lines, a limited palette. To capture both the northern park view and the western city view, we built up to a second storey, taking cues from the modernist houses already in the area. White brick dominates the ground floor in a deliberately restrained, geometric design.

The backyard itself faces west, working against easy orientation, but the site still allowed for a long north-facing facade. Living spaces run along that northern edge to catch the light and the park views, with service areas clustered to the south instead. A deep pergola and a mature evergreen tree in the backyard shield the house from the harsh western sun through summer.

Materials were chosen for thermal performance and low maintenance as much as looks: brick veneer construction, timber windows downstairs, uPVC upstairs. A preliminary performance analysis already has the home on track for Passive House certification, which will only be confirmed once construction is complete and the build is verified.

Inside, a calm, natural palette carries through — soft greens and blues, natural stone with subtle veining, timber shelving, and warm whites — with curved forms and soft lines giving the plan a gentle, natural rhythm rather than hard angles throughout.

A four-bedroom-plus-study, two-bathroom home at 220m², Northcote Passive House is currently under construction, built by Nido Builders.