A high-performance home with a lower budget? It’s almost unheard of, but this home north of Auckland manages to hit both briefs. The Certified Passive Home was designed by Joe Lyth of Respond Architects for his family, with the goal of making it warm, healthy and airtight. And the builders were more than up to the task of executing his vision. All the building materials were chosen with the carbon footprint and future performance of the home in mind. The exterior of the energy-efficient, three-bedroom home is inspired by a classic Kiwi tramping hut, featuring rust-coloured board-and-batten cladding. The walls and roof are made from prefabricated Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and the floor is suspended timber on wooden piles, with wool insulation under the subfloor. To keep the budget down, finishings are simple — with a plan to make upgrades in the future. Money has been spent on triple-glazed windows and a high-performance ventilation and heat recovery system. The house uses its 169sqm footprint wisely, with bedrooms, laundry, bathroom and kitchen-living areas on the ground floor. A mezzanine study will eventually become the main bedroom and ensuite.