Certified Passive House - Ridgeway

This Ridgeway home demonstrates the potential of high-performance design. Certified to the Passive House (Classic) standard, it delivers exceptional energy efficiency, indoor comfort, and health for its occupants. This home was completed in 2020 which makes it the first architect designed certified passive house in Tasmania in terms of when occupancy was granted. Certification occurred formally in September 2026.

The Ridgeway Passive House is more than a home—it’s a benchmark for sustainable living, combining proven building science with practical construction expertise. The Ridgeway Passive House was designed in collaboration between Next 50 Architects (Bee Newman) and Stuart McKenzie Hall. The Builder was Justin O’Connor, and the passive house consultant was Torquil Canning. The CLT was sourced from Stora Enso.

With advanced insulation, airtight construction (0.2ACH at n50), and precise thermal management, the home consistently maintains stable temperatures with minimal energy use [heating demand 12kWh/(m2a)]. Prefabricated components and digital fabrication techniques ensured quality, precision, and efficiency throughout construction. The house features Unilux triple glazed windows, Nordic Pine on the inside (matching the Spruce of the CLT walls) and clad externally with Black powdercoated aluminium they provide high levels of thermal performance eliminating condensation and mould risk from the interior surfaces of the windows and doors.  The Home features a Zehnder MHRV (Heat recovery Ventilation) system with integrated heat pump for heating and cooling.  This system provides excellent indoor air quality, whilst maintaining energy efficiency with >90% recovery of heat energy.

The suburb of Ridgeway is elevated on the slopes of Mount Kunanyi (Wellington) in Hobart, Tasmania, and the climate at this elevation is a few degrees colder than Hobart, it can snow at this elevation from time to time. Photography by Rob Maver.