Australian architects are stretching boundaries with timber and building low-rise, detached custom houses out of cross-laminated timber. That includes the Canopy CLT House, a North Sydney Passive House built with a Scandi-Japanese twist.
Designed by Still Space Architecture, “The brief was for a warm, crafty and tactile family home,” according to Nina Still, the architect who designed the house. “The house also needed room for extended family to stay and a communal space for music practice.”
The decision to design the house as a certified Passive House came later: “After researching the benefits and even staying in a Passive House ourselves, we were sold,” according to Susan and Louis, the property’s owners, who spoke to e-architect about the project.
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is central to the home’s design, creating a minimal yet warm aesthetic while meeting environmental goals:
“CLT panels have been designed as the internal skin, and the rooms are sculptural around the skin. It allows for a thin and efficient structure, so the spaces feel minimal and zen due to the simplicity of the volumes.”
Nina Still, from Sydney-based Still Space Architecture,
In addition, interior elements, including shelving and other built-in features, are crafted from plywood, complemented by cork flooring. Soft pops of colour are introduced in the kitchen, bathrooms, doors, and external structures, adding a playful contrast to the otherwise natural palette.
Designed with the future in mind, it is tailored to handle the heating and cooling demands of a warmer, more humid climate. It features continuous insulation, high-performing windows and doors, and a carefully planned ventilation system to ensure fresh, clean air.
Despite challenges during construction, including delays with the CLT panels and a change of builders, it was constructed in just 18 months—a testament to the collaboration between the architect and the homeowners and the power of staying true to a vision.
It’s a privilege to live here,” Susan said. “The house feels very calm and warm—plenty of space for people to do different things but still feel connected.
- To learn more about CLT in Passive Housing, click here for Wood Central’s case study on Kingsway Residence, a three-storey Perth house that took less than a year to construct and is built (almost) entirely from mass timber.
