The house is orientated to the north to allow solar penetration during winter. Wind scoops on the roof permit naturally cooling breezes during summer, and there is fixed ventilation in the sub floor. Seven metre long timber louvres on the east and west elevations, recycled from the demolished Sydney pier, provide shading and help cool the house in summer. Strathbogie granite, quarried from the site itself and used on the exterior and interior, provides considerable thermal mass. All water is harvested from the roof.
