Ponsonby's new Vinegar Lane is a beautifully designed and environmentally thoughtful neighbourhood of town houses, terrace houses, boutique apartments and office space, where it is quite literally possible to live and work in the same building.
Located just off Ponsonby Road, Vinegar Lane boasts 30 lots for development. Situated around an exclusive courtyard for residents’ private use, the project sets itself apart by allowing owners to develop their own homes and office spaces, just the way they want.
Brendon Poole and Nikki Cliffe, owners of Lot Four, Vinegar Lane, saw an opportunity to showcase modern energy efficiency principles as part of their new-build and, spurred on by Brendon’s environmental background, they created a building that exemplifies desirable, comfortable and sustainable apartment living.
Teaming Nicholas Dalton from Toa Architects, with Alex Reiche of EnviroSpec, who provided valuable design and product selection advice as a qualified HomestarProfessional, allowed them to create a stunning architecturally designed apartment – the first to be awarded an 8-Homestar Design rating in New Zealand.
Brendon Poole says, “We have a passion for energy efficiency and it was always our intention to use our home to promote sustainable products and in turn demonstrate to Kiwis that you can build green for a realistic price whilst still maximising comfort and style.”
Alex Reiche confirmed that the Homestar rating tool was vital when selecting fittings and fixtures that were environmentally sound. “Many Kiwis don’t realise just what impact appliances and fittings like taps can have on the overall performance of a house. Attention to detail in these areas can boost homes from a five or six Homestarrating to a seven or eight, while complementing the aesthetics of the home. It’s no longer enough to have excellent orientation and insulation; we need to be looking at absolutely every facet of the house.”
Nicholas Dalton agrees “This home is finished to the highest standard on every level – architecturally, environmentally and efficiency-wise. It’s a leading example for what high-density housing could be in Auckland; visually stunning and designed with residents’ comfort in mind.’’ While some major benefits come through design, a major contribution towards the excellent environmental performance of the three bedroom, 132m2 penthouse, comes from superior products:
Many aspects of product selection for the build are a showcase for best practice:
- Kingspan Kooltherm rigid insulation, providing higher than building code R values with minimal insulation thickness
- Double-glazed Fletcher Aluminium windows with a thermally broken frame to reduce heat loss
- Eco-friendly flooring products like Cavalier Bremworth carpets with Flashbac recycled backing
- Energy efficient LED lighting with daylight cut-off sensors
- Low emission and eco-certified paints, timber, sealants and adhesives
Summary of the key features:
- Penthouse is 3 bed, 132 m2 • Solar hot water
- Solar PV
- Thermally broken aluminium framing with double glazing (Fletcher Aluminium Pacific Thermal Suite)
- Higher than code insulation (Kingspan)
- Low energy lighting throughout
- Good extraction from kitchen and bathrooms, plus passive ventilation with openable windows and security stays
- Provision for washing line (balcony/roof top outdoor area)
- 5,000 rainwater bladder under deck (see attached). Note this may reduce in size and potentially incorporate some stormwater treatment/detention.
- Rainwater plumbed into toilet
- Site waste management plan
- Roof top vegetable garden