The situation

After living in the existing 1940s bungalow, Tim Dagg, director at Sheppard & Rout Architects decided it was time to demolish the existing home which was no longer working for them, and build a new home. Tim was determined to keep the established and beautiful native trees, the pool, and the rear terrace. By opening up from a half gable and folding into a full gable, he created a stunning double-height living space opening up to the north outdoor living area while providing privacy to the bedrooms and living areas within the home. With plenty of areas for entertaining and relaxing, Tim wanted his home to be heated without compromising on warmth throughout the home or wall space. But he also wanted an energy-efficient, low-maintenance solution that would help future-proof his home.

The approach

After specifying central heating in many architecturally designed homes, Central Heating New Zealand was an easy choice. Underfloor heating was the best choice as it is unobtrusive and completely hidden. Guests don’t realise central heating has been installed in the home just by looking around but they certainly do feel the radiant enveloping warmth around them. The underfloor system seamlessly complements the minimalist palette of raw and natural materials in the home which together provide a warm, robust, and relaxed interior.

The outcome

Central Heating New Zealand supplied and installed their radiant underfloor in-slab heating system. 870m of PE-RT pipe was attached to the structural mesh, then concrete was poured on top. The system is then powered efficiently by the reliable 10kW Chofu Heat pump.

The convenience of an electric heat source, coupled with the economic output of an underfloor system is becoming highly desired by Kiwi homeowners around New Zealand. By having an air-to-water heat pump and underfloor system, the homeowners have future-proofed their home for if they want to upgrade to cooling at a later date for minimal cost — essentially giving them two systems in one.