The first round of Solar Panels have gone up on the 5×4 Building.
With the structure complete, Ralph explains the complex Wall System that is going to keep the 5×4 Building at a stable temperature. (Also includes a quick time-lapse of the luxurious rooftop hot tub being installed on an unusually rainy day!)
For more video interviews head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full Construction Diary Interviews playlist.
A quick time-lapse of the hot tub being installed. due to its size and weight it had to be installed very early on in the build. See the time-lapse below, or head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full 5×4 Hayes Lane Project playlist.
It was time for the pressure-treated exterior cladding from ASH to go up as the final section of our Wall System.
Long 5 meter planks were passed up the scaffolding to be nailed into place, interlocking each other to create the water-tight finish.
The process of air-tightening the building has begun!
On top of the external layer of Spaceloft insulation sits the Pro Clima, the exterior airtight layer as advised by Passive House Australia.
This was boarded roughly in place, and then taped at all the edges and joins to create an airtight wrap around the whole building.
On the exterior of the building we tacked a layer of Aerogel‘s Spaceloft, a compressed insulation blanket capable of protecting against temperatures between -40 and 200 degrees Celsius.
The insulation began to be stuffed in around the frames on the inside of the building.
The first layer of insulation inside was the insulation batts. We had a mixture of RAMS’s part-wool-part-recycled-polyester batts, and GreenStuf’s 100% recycled polyester batts.
The windows have been installed on the rear (west) side of the building. The windows, made and glazed by Viridian, and framed by Paarhammer, are built to be airtight, like the rest of the house. This means sturdy latches and tight seals.
They will endeavor to keep the afternoon sun at bay, but will need some help from the blinds that will be installed in the next few months!
Due to our incredibly small square footage, a garden looked impossible to incorporate. We decided to have garden boxes on the west facing side of the building, utilising the space in the wall.
Having it on the west wall served two purposes:
Firstly, the plants need sunlight to survive, and the afternoon sun will set over Melbourne and during summer they will get full sunlight for about 6 hours a day.
Secondly, whilst the sun brings life for the plants, it also brings unwanted heat to the building, and the inset garden boxes help with absorbing that sun as well as shading the windows from the direct sunlight.
5×4 has had the very exciting news of being picked up by a T.V Show. While we can’t yet confirm the details, the program has chosen 5×4 for its unique, innovative design and will follow the build of the house.
The program is set to air in the second half of 2015, so keep your eyes and ears open!