Innovation and energy efficiency in award-winning Franklin home

30 Dorothy Green Crescent, Franklin
$1.1 million-plus
4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 parking spaces

Energy efficiency is at the heart of this award-winning Franklin home that became one of the first homes in Australia to be awarded a rare nine-star rating.

It’s little wonder then that its heating and cooling systems are rarely used no matter what the outside weather is like.

The Dorothy Green Crescent residence won Australia’s highest Telstra/Master Builders national award for environment and energy efficiency along with several other national and local awards for its inspired design. 

Homeowner Seema Gofain says she and her engineer husband had been keen to build a home that was comfortable year-round.

“We also wanted to include as many innovations as we could to ensure the home was efficient and economical to run,” she says.

“I remember we had a blackout one cold winter evening, but we were quite comfortable waiting for the power to return a few hours later.”

The floor plan is set on over 237 square metres of stylish living on a large 570-square-metre block.

It includes three large living areas, four large bedrooms, including a generous master with big ensuite and walk-in robe,  a sun room, an outdoor kitchen and alfresco entertaining. 

“The family room is my favourite as it gets bathed in sunlight – it’s so pleasant to relax there,” Seema says.

Highlights of the home’s energy efficiency systems include: double glazed, Low E, Argon filled windows and doors with five-layer insulated curtains.

High performance insulation fills all the external walls and roof while acoustic/thermal insulation has also been fitted in all the internal walls

There is solar hot water and under slab hydronic heating and LED lighting throughout along with DC ceiling fans.

Added to that is a 3.04KW solar PV system, an insulated garage door, an off-peak facility for charging a hybrid or electric car and much more.

The home is digitally connected with NBN and CAT 6 home network cabling to all rooms and the low maintenance gardens are serviced by a concealed 11,700 litre rain water tank and irrigation system.

Seema believes the home will have wide appeal.

“I think people of all ages would enjoy living in it,” she says. “It’s really comfortable, it’s a great neighbourhood and there’s the added benefit of energy savings.”

The Gofains are building a new home in Crace that will raise the bar even further on energy efficiency innovations.

Agent: LJ Hooker Dickson, Stephen Bunday 0416 014 431. Auction: Tuesday, December 13, 5.30pm at Pialligo Estate Winery. Inspect: Saturday, December 10, 9.45am-10.15am.

Go back to the future

10 Dobson Street, Watson
$675,000-plus
4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 car space

There may be two sides to every story, but in this distinctive Watson home there are 16 and that story began some 50 years ago.

This remarkable 16-sided – a hexadecagon – home was built over 1964-1965 and the same family has lived in it ever since.

Sisters Catherine Shipard and Jane Miles and their brother grew up in the home that was variously known around the Dobson Street area as “the igloo”, the “cake house” and the “spaceship” house because of its Jetsons-like futuristic styling.

Jane says it was really popular with all her friends who were all keen to see what it looked like inside.

“They used to ask me whether it could rotate,” she says. “We just used to think of it us our home and it was a lovely place to live.”

The home, on a 731-square metre block amid a well-established, low maintenance garden, is designed  as a circle with the living and four bedroom areas arranged around a hub that is the kitchen.

“The layout flows really well and it’s got a great homely feel,” Catherine says.

Agent: Bree Currall, Peter Blackshaw Manuka, 0410 633 247. Inspect: Saturday, December 10, 1pm-1.40pm