1977 KALMA HOUSE Cataract St., Kaleen, ACT

View of north face showing two bedrooms and full clerestory. Living room window not shown (at left). This is the only photo I have of the house.
Photo during construction – sunblinds still to be added.

Designed a house for Mr and Mrs Jetse Kalma (CSIRO). It incorporated in-built solar hot water panels (hydraulic design by Louis Palmer (ANU Engineer) seen behind the right-hand clerestory as a frost protection measure. The left hand clerestory panels allow sunlight into the living room which also has a raised fireplace hearth with air entry duct under opening out to the northern wall (adjustable air entry/wood loading doors just visible at LH edge of photo).

The mid to late 1970s were the first opportunities for me to test out the integrated solar hot water systems (ANU solar house (not built), my house at Little Burra, Kalma house, Ben’s house at Burra). Then commercial solar hot water heaters came on the market as additive units which looked awful just stuck on the roof – I felt that they should be integrated into the house design as an essential part of the house function.

Even today in 2015 it is not standard practice for developers to supply solar hot water systems – they should be made mandatory for all new houses.