The Wrighty-Tighty House is a flagship residential project in Melbourne, designed by Envirotecture to achieve rigorous Passivhaus certification. This certification demands exceptional performance, energy efficiency, and a commitment to material longevity and low environmental impact. Given the project's focus on a durable, low-maintenance, and low-carbon envelope, the exterior cladding and decking required a material solution that could perform for over a century with minimal intervention.
Britton Timbers proudly supplied the advanced timber for the ground floor cladding and exterior decking: Accoya Color Grey.
Accoya Color Grey is the ideal choice for projects seeking ultimate durability combined with a predefined, low-maintenance aesthetic. The key advantages for this demanding Passivhaus design were:
- Exceptional Durability and Stability: The acetylation process transforms the timber to achieve Class 1 durability, making it virtually rot-proof and highly resistant to insects—a crucial factor for longevity. Its superior dimensional stability ensures the cladding and deck boards maintain their integrity without swelling or warping, preserving the building envelope’s air-tightness and precision detailing.
- Pre-Finished and Low-Maintenance: Accoya Color Grey is pre-finished throughout its entire structure, meaning the colour is infused into the wood, not just applied to the surface. This eliminates the need for future re-coating or maintenance, aligning perfectly with the Passivhaus goal of long-term, hassle-free performance. The uniform grey tone provides a contemporary, weathered aesthetic from day one.
- Sustainability Credentials: As a non-toxic, highly sustainable product, Accoya met the project’s strict criteria for material choices, helping contribute to the home’s overall low-carbon footprint and healthy indoor environment.
The use of pre-finished Accoya Color Grey allowed Envirotecture to achieve a precise, modern aesthetic that immediately connects the home to its surrounding landscape while ensuring decades of reliable performance. By specifying a timber that is guaranteed to last and requires virtually no ongoing work, Britton Timbers helped deliver a truly ‘tighty’ and robust building envelope for this groundbreaking Melbourne Passivhaus.
