A GROUNDBREAKING PASSIVE HOUSE SETTING SIX STAR STANDARDS IN BUXTON
WORDS Michael Anderson | PHOTOGRAPHY Dr Khoi Bui
When people happen upon a place where they fancy setting up a weekender or holiday house, they’re often acting on a deep emotional connection to the location; and maybe that’s why retirees often choose to set up permanent camp in what started out as their romantic weekend getaway. Such was the case for Elizabeth and Peter, whose lives coming led at around retirement age, and whose joint Melbourne residence soon spawned a satellite, in the form of a new build: their rural retreat in Buxton.
This initial foray into country living was challenging, to say the least: construction neophyte, Elizabeth, supervised the building programme, and there were, of course, multiple unforeseen issues, including rampaging wildlife, delays with materials and trades, and unrealised ambitions. But they loved the place. “We soon found we were spending more and more time in Buxton, and less and less time in the city. After a year, we knew we should be living out here permanently, because that’s what we were doing anyway” Elizabeth asserts.
Read the full article in issue 56 Summer 2023 here.
