Description

Merri House is a striking contemporary home that responds to site constraints, heritage context, and regenerative principles. Its three sculpted gable volumes optimise natural light, frame views, and enhance passive solar performance while respecting the surrounding heritage bungalows.

Sustainability guided every decision, from retaining the existing 1978 strip foundations and concrete slab to minimising waste and preserving embodied energy. The footprint enhances efficiency, while daily rituals, seasonal solar patterns, and view corridors shape a dynamic spatial experience with framed vistas and moments of contemplation.

Constructed from rammed earth, lightweight framing, and timber cladding, Merri House maximises thermal performance and natural ventilation. Despite site constraints, it is bathed in winter sun and achieves an 8-star energy rating. The home has been built focused on all key Passive House elements. Biophilic principles are embedded throughout the home, while the extensive use of Australian timbers imbue spaces with beauty and calm.

Designed for future autonomy, the home incorporates rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, solar energy, and food production systems into its design. Its adaptable layout allows for transformation into independent living quarters, ensuring flexibility for evolving family needs.

What's On

Come for a tour where owner/designer Luke Middleton of EME Design will present key aspects of this unique family home including the process of design with a focus on biophilic design, regeneration, resilience and flexibility; how the home has been designed to evolve over time; the process of building an airtight home; strategic decisions taken with an intent to reduce embodied carbon; the hybrid approach to insulation and thermal mass; the Heat Recovery Ventilation system; monitored results of the thermal performance of the building (in conjunction with Melbourne University); monitored results of energy consumption and production; water-saving measures and more.

In Collaboration With:

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  Luke Middleton

  For over 20 years, Luke has designed thoughtful, sustainable architecture that connects people, place, and nature. His first carbon-positive project in 2006 sparked a passion for regenerative design. He’s collaborated globally on urban research and continues exploring creative resilience through design, permaculture, Passive House, and the Living Building Challenge.