Blackheath, New South Wales, Australia

Peter Stutchbury designed this new house in Blackheath, New South Wales as a modest home; unique, sustainable, biophilic, and fit for purpose. 

Night Sky House produces all its own energy, collects its own water, is made in large part out of recycled materials, connects to its local context, and uses low-toxic finishes and fittings. 

Low-water gardens are planted with drought-tolerant indigenous species that support local biodiversity. 

Additionally, the house is fully accessible, designed to enable its occupant, who lives with a disability, to feel connected and at ease. 

The home celebrates the local economy. 

The majority of its materials are Australian-made, recycled, and obtained from within a 120-kilometer radius, and 75 percent of trades were sourced through one contractor. 

This minimized carbon emissions related to travel time while also supporting local businesses, many of them craftspeople and makers. 

The design is efficient not just in its planning, but also in its ability to stabilize temperature passively. 

Recycled double-brick and insulated walls store and release heat, and the skylight in the central vaulted parabolic room enables two-way ventilation. 

Night Sky is equipped with 63 photovoltaic panels with 20 kW of power generation and 34 kW of storage. 

It uses evacuated tubes for hot water, minimum electronics, low-energy fixtures, and 12-volt lighting. 

The home collects, stores, and filters 60,000 liters of rainwater at ground temperature.

Project: Night Sky House
Architects: Peter Stutchbury Architecture
Design Team: Fernanda Cabral and Sobi Slingsby
Client: Private
Photographers: Michael Nicholson