Wilburville

2021

Off-Grid Luxury Without Compromise

Perched overlooking Arthurs Lake in the Central Highlands of Tasmania, Project Wilburville is a fully off-grid home powered entirely by solar. Drawing on Scandinavian design influences, its brief was to deliver comfort, durability, and elegance in a setting with harsh winters and hot summers. To achieve this, the build incorporates passive building principles (good sealing and insulation), large north-facing glazing for solar gain, and a thermal mass base level to help moderate temperature fluctuations. The result is a stylish, resilient home that performs well in all seasons, and was recognised as a finalist in the 2021 Master Builders Tasmania Awards for Excellence.

Challenges and Achievements

Challenges

One of the biggest challenges for Wilburville was designing for extreme seasonal variance. Cold winters and intense summer heat, in a remote lakeside location. That meant every aspect of the build needed to perform. Being completely off-grid added further complexity in ensuring reliable solar power and storage, as well as ensuring minimal reliance on external systems. Logistics and access in a remote area also meant careful planning and coordination to bring materials and trades to site. Budget constraints (typical for remote, high-performance homes) required strict discipline in design decisions and efficient execution to deliver both quality and performance without cost overruns

Achievements

2022 Finalist – Master Builders Awards for Excellence