Passivhaus Premium Home Construction – Interview with Steven Hedger
Grand Designs Australia Magazine
If home is where the heart is, then Steven Hedger and Talina Edwards have had a hand in breathing life and love into countless Australian houses.
Certified in Passive Home Construction, qualified as MBAV Green Living Builders, and with experience building award-winning off-grid lifestyle homes, Hedger Constructions — under the leadership of director Steven Hedger — is uniquely positioned at the forefront of sustainable home construction “We work closely with architects and clients to provide input on design refinement and enhance energy efficiency to deliver ongoing value”, says Steven.
One such working relationship came about when Hedger Constructions teamed up with Envirotecture, a passionate team of Australian architects specialising in sustainable design solutions, to build Australia’s first strawbale home to achieve Passivhaus Premium Level certification. “Passivhaus Premium certification means the home generates more renewable energy than it uses”, explains Talina Edwards director of Envirotecture, “and we are delighted to have designed the first strawbale home in Australia that has reached this standard.”
The collaboration between Hedger Constructions and Envirotecture was a match made in heaven, with Huff ‘n’ Puff Haus, located in Victoria’s picturesque Strathbogie Ranges, the phenomenal fruit of their labour. With seven design awards to date, Huff ‘n’ Puff House has also been nominated for Best Sustainable Home in the Master Builders Association of Victoria (MBAV) Excellence in Housing Awards 2024, with winners to be announced in October.
“This project achieved national and international recognition as the first Australian-Certified Passivhaus Premium strawbale home, and only the fifth Certified Passivhaus Premium building in Australia,” says Talina. “It is not just this certification that has caught the eye of many design awards juries, it’s the holistic nature-aligned approach of designing buildings that are healthy for people and planet.”
For Steven, the allure of the project sprang from his desire to build more energy-efficient homes that produce healthy, comfortable and resilient living spaces with reduced running costs. “As a family company, we never lose sight of the fact we’re building your home,” emphasises Steven. “We enjoy working collaboratively with clients and architects to design and construct innovative homes that people will love, appreciate and create a lifetime of memories in.”
The design and build teams applied a wide range of green principles to minimise the environmental impact of the project. Extensive thermal modelling undertaken in the design stage tested the performance impacts of the home enabling it to maximise northern solar-gain for passive-solar heating in winter, whilst embracing southern views. “Envirotecture were extremely thorough in their research and documentation for this project, making the build process very straight forward,” confirms Steven.
Experienced in off-grid builds, Hedger Constructions ensured Huff ‘n’ Puff Haus was self-sufficient for power, water and disposal of bio-waste on site. The all-electric home has a solar PV system, batteries and EV charging. The thermal envelope and airtightness were also key considerations. “Continuous insulation to roof, walls and floor, triple glazing and air-tight construction helped create a high-quality building envelope which maximises efficiency”, explains Steven.
A Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery system (MVHR) ensures the quality of air within the home is maintained at high levels. “The holistic Passivhaus approach also considers the health of building occupants”, says Talina. “Passive homes supply filtered fresh air through balanced ventilation systems, actively expelling and minimising pollutants, and providing a constant supply of fresh air to create a healthy home”.
“Even though construction was during the difficult Covid lockdown times Hedger Constructions did a stellar job meeting all the strict requirements of the Passivhaus standard,” confirms Talina.
Widely recognised as one of Victoria’s most prestigious building companies, Hedger Constructions have received more than 30 MBAV awards, including being named Regional Builder of the Year on three occasions. “Due to demand the company has grown to service much of the state, with teams based throughout north-east Victoria, the Yarra Valley, High Country, Melbourne, Greater Geelong and the Surf Coast Shire,” explains Steven.
Talina, as Board Director of the Australian Passive House Association, has also gained recognition as an industry leader, renowned for sustainable architecture and advocacy for building a better future. “We’re not just environmental-architects”, says Talina, “we’re passionate advocates for a more sustainable and regenerative future for all.”
Whether you’re interested in creating a Passive House of your own, or have grand plans for a unique residence built with skill and integrity, Steven and Talina never disappoint.