Renmark House

The site for this home was an old soft drink factory which had been subdivided into several blocks, with views over a bend in the Murray River. The design of the house was a response to the triangular corner site, the northern aspect and the river views, as well as the use of materials that help connect the building to it’s context.

The living areas and main bedroom are located on the 1st floor, taking advantage of the river views. An operable louvered roof over the northern deck provides control of solar access and creates a versatile outdoor room as an extension to the living room.

Other bedrooms, bathroom and an office are located on the ground floor, and a basement houses the wine cellar. A lift was installed, anticipating future access requirements of the retired owners, and also serves to access the basement cellar.

Distinctive folded copper is used as cladding to the cubic form housing the kitchen and stairs. This cladding was installed by the owner himself.

Sustainable features of the house include passive solar design, internal thermal mass from concrete floors (ground & 1st floor) and internal masonry walls. Aerated concrete panels used for external cladding provide excellent insulation. Large underground concrete tanks store collected rainwater. Solar panels on the roof provide hot water and generate electricity.

The aim was to design the house to be as thermally comfortable for the majority of the year by natural means so that the use of air-conditioning would be minimised.