Meet the future of sustainable building. In the South Wairarapa hills is this off-the-grid two-bedroom, twobathroom home powered by solar energy. Panels at a high point on the site capture the sun’s energy, which is stored in a bank of batteries. The thermal performance is remarkable — temperatures of at least 20°C are enjoyed without any heating. The walls and roof of the 75sqm home were built with structural insulated panels that exceed building code thermal resistance standards and clad with coloured steel. A 500kg wood-fired oven also warms the house and water when it’s cloudy. Rainwater is fed into a lower holding tank and on sunny days it is pumped up to a 30,000L header before being gravity fed back down to the house. The wastewater system is a non-electric treatment system specifically designed for off-the-grid builds. The home’s palette was designed to work with the surrounding pine trees. The living area, for example, is a forest-green delight and the flooring is recycled heart rimu. It’s sunny, too. Light streams through widespread glazing and skylights in the kitchen and a loft that makes the most of roof space above the main bedroom suite.