As people become more conscious of their environmental impact and pursue healthier living, the demand for high performance homes is rising. Building a high performance home isn’t just about being environmentally responsible—it’s about creating a space that offers superior comfort, energy efficiency, and long-term savings.

What is a High-Performance Home?

In broad terms, high performance homes are designed and built to achieve a higher performing, and energy efficient home, and go above and beyond relevant construction standards. These buildings require substantially less energy to heat and cool compared to conventional construction methods.

At Watermayne, we specialise in designing and constructing custom homes that are built to perform.

They typically incorporate and follow passive house design principles which can include:

– Thermal bridging
– Ventilation
– High Performance Glazing
– Airtightness
– Optimised Insulation
– Orientation
– Condensation

At Watermayne, we believe that it is important that specific building techniques are captured during the design phase, in order to achieve the best outcomes.

Our approach to custom home design and construction draws on thinking across the following key areas;

• Thermal bridging solutions: Thermal bridging is ‘an unintended path of heat/cold flow’, using a path of least resistance through a building envelope between the outside and inside. This can combat the efforts of minimal energy consumption of a home. At Watermayne, we use high-performance windows (UPVC material). UPVC is a non-conductive material compared to powder coat aluminium which allows temperature transfer from the outside to inside the home.
• Adequate Ventilation Strategy: The objective is to bring as much fresh air into the home as possible. High-performance homes prioritise your health and wellbeing by improving air quality, reducing allergens, and ensuring proper ventilation. At Watermayne, we consider the placement of windows, accompanied by fans and window operation for natural ventilation and improved air-quality. We incorporate cross ventilation to circulate fresh air through your home, reducing reliance on air conditioning to create a naturally cooler living environment.
• High Performance Windows
  Double-glazed windows help maintain indoor temperatures and reduce solar heat gain. This helps keep the heat out during the scorching summer months whilst retaining warmth during cooler periods. A high-performance window/door with double or triple glazing can provide the highest energy efficiency regarding insulation. Not only can these windows support insulation, but they also allow for light, sound and condensation control.
• Airtight Construction
  Airtightness is important when managing energy consumption in a building.
  Ensuring that your home is airtight helps prevent drafts and energy loss. Proper sealing and the use of high-quality windows and doors can make a significant difference in energy efficiency. The more air-tight a building envelope is, the less energy is required for internal thermal comfort.
• Optimised Insulation
  Insulation helps keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer, reducing the need for heating and cooling systems. This means ensuring your wall, roof and floor assemblies are well-insulated to handle temperature extremes. It is critical to ensure that the specification is captured during the design phase and that it is installed correctly during construction. The team at Watermayne have proven experience and expertise in this important element
• Orientation
  By harnessing the sun’s natural heat and light, we strategically position windows and utilise thermal mass materials like concrete, rammed earth and stone to passively heat your home during winter and keep it cool in summer. Incorporating shading devices, such as eaves, pergolas, or external blinds, can reduce solar heat gain and glare. Effective shading is essential to minimise cooling loads and improve indoor comfort during hot summer days.
• Energy Efficient Systems
  Invest in high-efficiency heating, cooling, and lighting systems. Using energy-efficient appliances and renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, can further reduce your home’s environmental footprint and operating costs.
• Water Efficiency
  Implementing water-saving fixtures and rainwater harvesting systems aligns with the sustainable ethos and is particularly relevant given South Australia’s variable rainfall. Efficient water use helps preserve this precious resource and supports the overall sustainability of your home.
• Condensation
  Condensation can occur when humid air meets a cooler surface and can cause dampness, mould and rot in your home. The risk depends on your climate, how your home is built and how you use your home. To reduce the risk of condensation, it is important to pay careful attention to your choice of building membrane and insulation. It is also imperative that it is carefully specified and installed correctly for your location.

At Watermayne, our commitment to building high performance homes drives us to constantly innovate, seeking out cutting-edge building technologies and sustainable materials.

We want to build homes that are good for the planet, good for you and good for your pocket.

We value being one of Adelaide’s leading high performance home builders. Our homeowners tell us that they value our thoughtful design, integrated with sustainable practices – they love ‘our shade of green‘.

Hear what our valued clients have to say about their homes…

“Our home is a very high-performing home. It’s quite astounding at how well it functions… We almost never have to run our split system because it’s so good at maintaining heat or keeping cool….We get some belting winds up here, and it can be stormy and you wouldn’t know. Often, people come to visit and they would think that we’ve been running the heater all day, particularly in the middle of winter. And they’re often surprised that we don’t have anything on – it’s that well-functioning.” – Coastal Sanctuary Project

“Witnessing the energy-efficient home concept in action has been rewarding. Features like underfloor heating and cooling, smart thermostats, solar panels with battery storage, well-insulated walls and double-glazed windows are resulting in lower utility bills.” – Seaside Elegance Project

Call us today to discuss your next high performance home.