This case study shares a Melbourne renovation of an energy efficient, all electric home with a green roof.

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Emilio Fuscaldo, Nest Architects about green roofs. Listen to Part 1 here.

Hello! This is Episode 265, and in it, I’m talking with architect, Emilio Fuscaldo of Nest Architects, about Green Roofs and all electric homes.

If you haven’t listened to Episode 264, that was Part 1 of my conversation with Emilio, where we discussed the green roof he did on his own home. 

Emilio shared a lot of information about the design, materials, construction and detailing of that green roof, so it’s worth listening to if you haven’t. 

In this episode 265, Emilio continues to share some learnings from that very first green roof he did on his own home. And, we also get to talk about a more recent project he’s completed for clients in Melbourne, Victoria. 

They also included a green roof in their renovation and extension. Plus, they decided to do an all electric home, focussing on air tightness, various methods of heating and cooling and specific strategies to save energy overall. 

It’s a great run through of a recent project and how effective certain design decisions were in improving their home overall.

Now, let’s dive in!

Before we kick off Part 2 of my conversation with Emilio, let me remind you a bit about him and Nest Architects.

Nest Architects was founded in 2006 by Emilio Fuscaldo. The award winning practice reflects his personal beliefs in collaboration, environmental sustainability and inclusive design.

Emilio is a registered Architect and as well as being the Director of Nest, he teaches regularly at The University of Melbourne.

Emilio is passionate about the power of collaboration, and is a strong advocate for environmental sustainability and inclusive design in all projects. To Emilio, being an architect is an opportunity to change behaviour and communities for the better.

We kick off this episode with me asking about whether any of the neighbours of his own home complained about the green roof, and the fact that he and his partner were up there. I was curious whether neighbours had concerns about privacy or overlooking.

We then go onto chat about a recent project Emilio has finished. In our conversation, you’ll hear Emilio talking about the air tightness achieved for the home as a percentage. 

Green roofs: Photographs from Emilio’s own home

To see photographs of the green roof at Emilio’s own home under construction, head to Episode 264. Finished photos below.

Photographs of the finished home [Source: Nest Architects]

Green roofs: Photographs from Emilio’s own home

The plywood roof deck structure [Source: Emilio Fuscaldo]

The roof finished with initial planting [Source: Emilio Fuscaldo]

Recent photographs showing the garden established in Spring 2022 [Source: Emilio Fuscaldo]

I touched base with Emilio after our conversation to ask for more information about the blower door test results. 

In ACH figures though, the blower door test results were 5.7 ACH, which is a great result for a traditionally constructed home (and a fantastic result given that many homes are anywhere from 15 to 39 ACH).

Emilio also advised that the company they used for the installation of the green roof in this recent project. It was a company called Fytogreen, and they came in once the ply and waterproofing was in place. They specialise in green roofs and walls and have a lot of information on their website. 

As well as the installation of the green roof elements themselves, they included consultation time upfront to assist with design and plant selection, and a 3 month maintenance phase once the garden was completed.

And for those who are interested, I asked Emilio about the windows they used in this project. He let me know they were Vic Ash frames, double glazed with low-e coated glazing. 

A big thank you to Emilio who has so generously shared so much great information about green roofs and other insights in his projects.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE NOW.

RESOURCES: 

Nest Architects >>> https://www.nestarchitects.com.au/

Articles on Emilio’s home

• The Design Files >>> https://thedesignfiles.net/2016/12/emilio-fuscaldo-of-nest-architects/
• Dwell >>> https://www.dwell.com/article/green-roof-inspiration-ideas-99f0e5bc/6255436488122724352
• ABC Article >>> https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/bydesign/energy-efficient-green-roof-nominated-for-architecture-awards/5451970

Article on Green Roofs featured in Sanctuary Magazine >>> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U-XI0ZpSPzoAW2VYdlNhdpIsrxV0sT04/view?usp=share_link

Fytogreen (who installed the green roof on the Melbourne project discussed in this episode) >>> https://fytogreen.com.au/

Access the support and guidance you need to be confident and empowered when renovating and building your family home inside my flagship online program >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/the-home-method/

Learn more about how to get started with your home design with the Happy Home Design mini-course >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/happy-home-design

Access my free online workshop “Your Project Plan” >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/projectplan