Product
2x LowE Plus coatings in a TGU with Clear for highest clarity and visible light transmittance – while also phenominal Insulation performance (low U-Value).
Specification
- Outer: Clear Toughened
- Spacer: WarmEdge + Argon Gas
- Mid: LowE Plus Toughened
- Spacer: WarmEdge + Argon gas
- Inner: LowE Plus Toughened
Site Address
Warrandyte, VIC 3113
Fabricator
Builder
Architect
5c Sustainable Building Design
Photos courtesy of
Challenge
When builder and owner Jesse Glascott set his sights on a challenging plot in Warrandyte, Melbourne, he envisioned far more than just his family’s home. Positioned by a busy roundabout and encumbered with multiple overlays—including bushfire management, inundation, and indigenous cultural heritage—the site presented significant hurdles. Yet, it was the perfect canvas for Glascott and his company, G-LUX Builders, to showcase what is possible when innovation meets determination.
Building a family home to Passive House Premium standards on a site that came with steep falls, difficult access, and overlays requiring meticulous planning to meet environmental and regulatory requirements. Architect David Halford of 5c Sustainable Building Design (5cSBD) called it “one of the more challenging builds I’ve worked on.” Formerly a truck parking zone, the plot also demanded design and material solutions to mitigate its position on a hyper-busy roundabout.
Solution
Despite these challenges, Glascott and Halford collaborated to design a two-story, four-bedroom, three-bathroom home to exacting Passive House Premium specifications. For Glascott, the project was both a family home and a testbed for innovative building methods and materials. “We wanted to raise a family in an area we love and showcase what’s possible in Australian construction,” he says.
A standout feature of the build was the use of prefabricated Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). “SIPs are ideal for Passive House projects,” Halford explains. “They offer continuous insulation with no thermal bridges and airtightness critical for ventilation systems.” However, these panels required absolute precision in design and fabrication, as they must fit perfectly on-site.
The project also experimented with mass timber glulam walls and floors panels and wood fibre insulation; a product widely used in Europe but rare in Australia. The laminated timber stairwell wall became a striking centrepiece, “showcasing the beauty of natural materials in a highly engineered design,” Halford notes.
Windows were a critical component of the project. With bushfire rating requirements (BAL29) and the need for thermal and acoustic performance, Glascott sought a local supplier capable of delivering triple-glazed, bushfire-rated timber windows. Binq Windows, one of the few Australian manufacturers able to do this, provided the solution with blackbutt windows.
Binq co-founder Andre Griffs says Binq’s focus on manufacturing high-performance windows and doors, has naturally led them into the Passivhaus space. “Homes built to Passive House standards require double or triple glazed windows with airtight seals”.
“Most manufacturers cannot meet these requirements for timber windows.”
Griffs says windows for Passive Houses have detailed technical requirements including their insulative value (U-value), solar heat gain co-efficient (SHGC) and airtight seals. Multi-point locking systems are important to minimise air infiltration. In addition, hinged doors and windows require adjustable hinges to ensure proper sealing and compression of gaskets.
“There has been a rapid shift to double glazing and now increasing demand for homes built to Passive House principles.”
The Panel House used Binq’s Archetto suite, featuring fixed windows, tilt and turn windows, lift and slide doors, and IV68 hinged doors. Australian Glass Group (AGG) supplied Insulglass LowE Plus® triple glazing with 2x coating surfaces, warm edge spacers and argon gas.
“Glass and window selection isn’t just about insulation—it’s also about avoiding mould, ensuring comfortable surface temperatures, and minimising thermal drafts,” Halford explains. AGG’s triple glazing with 2x LowE coatings, WarmEdge spacers and argon gas filled air gaps achieved a Ug (Passivhaus glass-only value) of 0.8 and a g-value (Passivhaus Solar Factor) of 0.50, delivering exceptional energy efficiency with an extremely clear, high visible light transmittance.
The Panel House exemplifies the benefits of Passive House design. “The comfort inside is incredible,” Glascott says. “Visitors can’t believe the temperature difference and assume we’ve had the air conditioning or heating on all day, but we haven’t.”
Beyond thermal performance, the triple glazing delivered surprising acoustic benefits. “We’re on a super busy roundabout, but inside, you can’t hear the traffic at all—it’s like stepping into another world,” he adds.
Sustainability features extend beyond insulation and glazing. The home is entirely off-grid for water, harvesting and storing nearly 40,000 litres from the roof. A 20-kilowatt solar PV system powers most of the house, including the pool, with battery-readiness built into the design.
The Panel House demonstrates what is achievable through innovative design and collaboration. “When I started 15 years ago, designing Passive Houses in Australia was extremely challenging,” Halford reflects. “Now, with local suppliers stepping up, it’s much more straightforward.”
Griffs echoes this sentiment, pointing to a rapidly growing market for energy efficiency. “Australians have become far more willing to install high-performance windows when there is credibility behind the value proposition,” he says.
For G-LUX Builders, Glascott says Panel House is influencing its current and future projects, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in sustainable living.
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