THE SITE

This is a 10-acre rural property, covered almost entirely by landscaped sub-tropical gardens and orchards surrounding the house. The land falls to the south-east with expansive coastal and mountain views, sloping to where a spring-fed dam is located. There is sufficient fall to supply the gardens with water from the upper spring-fed dam, with good pressure, without the use of a pump. Grey water from the effluent system is also used for the landscaped garden. Walkways wind through the forests, gullies, bamboo groves,orchards, dam, and past a spring fed pond littered with water lilies where rainbow fish control the mosquito larvae. The landscaping surrounding the house has been designed to reduce the heat, and the lush cardamon and shell ginger plants near the house work as a firebreak.
The uphill wind acceleration helps to cool the house in summer. It was seen as important to make the garden work with the house to create a pleasant environment. For this reason deciduous trees were planted in the north to provide shade in summer and allow sun in winter. Deciduous grape vines growing over the pergola will also shade the house in summer and allow the winter sun to penetrate the house. Evergreens are used in selected places to act as windbreaks, which will take the sting out of cold winter winds and hot summer winds. We bought the land in 1993 and have since set about realising our vision, always working with the natural contours of the land. We were not ready to built the house until the planting and landscaping was complete.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The consideration of the orientation of the building is based on climate and natural view of the site. It has been constructed in harmony with the cardinal points and the seasons. It is aligned to the magnetic east with the entrance at the west, and doors and windows are aligned to the equinox and solstice.
This pole home is a two story timber dwelling and comprises a central living and dining area, a winter room, kitchen, nine bed rooms with ensuite and two extra toilets, verandahs, pergolas and decks.
The house has been built entirely of plantation and selected untreated hardwood so that there is not a splinter of Asian rainforest or treated wood to be found inside. Neither is there a particle of chipboard, which has been ruled out because of its formaldehyde content. The blackbutt floors are oiled and non-toxic paints have been used throughout. Exterior walls are grey ironbark and R 2.5 Astrofoil insulation has been installed on the west, north and east walls; the south wall has R 1.5 insulation.
Local basalt rocks, sculptured to window height against exterior walls and concrete tiled pergola floors, preserve winter warmth and summer cool while giving a sense of permanency as well as an alpine architectural flavour.

Climate is controlled naturally by the light coloured metal roof with double R 2.5 insulation, Astrofoil under the roof and natural ASI cellulose sprayed between ceiling and roof. This not only works as a heat barrier, also as sound barrier for heavy rain. As extra heat and sound barrier there is insulation between the ceiling, walls, and the lower and upper floor areas to reach R 2.5 ratings.
The house has four solar panels and a wind generator charging the battery bank for emergency lighting (24 hours in the hall way, and outside the building for power loss) and fire safety (smoke detectors and control panel). There is extra wiring on the roof for extension to expand to 20 panels.
Three solar hot water panels are being used to pre-heat the town or rain water (collected from the roof and stored in two 25 000 litre tanks) to fill a 400 litre storage tank, it can be heated at night with off peak power. The preheated water then flows through a gas hot water system and it heats the water to 85 degrees for the commercial kitchen and mixes it for showers and washbasins at 49 degrees. All fittings and toilets are AAA rated.
Cooking is done with gas and supplementary heating is provided by a gas heater and a gas fireplace.
The layout provides a northerly aspect to every main room. Rooms facing south extend out to catch the morning sun and views. Different parts of the house are best to be in during different seasons. The clear plastic shaded verandah, and the tiled concrete and stone floor area is a haven of winter warmth, while the timber and deck section facing south-east is great in summer.
Huge windows and sliding doors provide cross ventilation and the rising hot air moves up and out through the central dome with its hopper windows, also adding natural northern light. Ceiling fans provide additional air-movement. Eaves shade the house from high angle summer sun and heat; the low angle winter sun enters the house. The winter room, which captures the sun's warmth on winter days, opens to the winter gardens on one side and the huge central common room on the other. On June 21, the winter solstice, the sun is in line with the huge doors of the winter room. Its movement from there is visible evidence that the seasons are changing.
The longer we live here, the more we appreciate different aspects of the design.
The awareness of our interdependence with the environment has been the key force in the construction of Aquila Retreat. The special challenges of the design provided unique opportunities to build a beautiful functional home with minimal impact on the environment.

We hope you will receive inspiration and delight from your visit at Aquila Retreat

Horst and Ophelia Rechlin