240 Duffy Street, Ainslie, ACT 2602

#soldbyholly $2,080,000

There is a soothing textural immersion, bagged brick walls in whisper white, honeyed timber joinery, walls of glass framing leafy vistas at every turn. A refined simplicity extends a relaxing ambience and elemental peace. Generous proportions and beautiful spatial arrangement combine with immaculate detailing. Everywhere…a warm blessing of golden light.

The elevated block captures glimpses of Calvert Park and the house emerges from a swell of native plantings. Flowering proteas, banksias and array of soft grasses coalesce around a simple pond, mimicking a natural water source and creating a haven for birdlife.

This beautiful, architecturally designed four-bedroom home rests at the foot of Mount Ainslie and backs the winding trails within the reserve. The home is steeped in a pristine quietude that belies the coveted urban locale.

A consistent thread of natural materials creates visual interest, a raw organic elegance. Restorative and healing the home is also hard working, quietly banking thermal heat, storing and recycling water, saving energy and producing a bounty of vegetables and fruits.

Square windows provide glimpses to picture perfect vistas, as you traverse the wide hallway. Sunlight paints the stairs and there is the joy of the sweeping living, dining kitchen, opening to landscaped gardens on dual sides. The kitchen is a wonderful mix of timbers with a pop of midnight blue. Windows and doors frame generous olive, fig and fruit trees, sloping vegetable beds and the ever-reaching bush landscape beyond. At one end a serene fourth bedroom or home office quietly captures a treasured grove of fruit trees, including lemon, blood orange, grapefruit and pomegranate trees.

A lovely remove characterises the sleeping wing…a quiet zone where family can retreat to three peaceful bedrooms. Linen curtains filter changing light, colours and textures of the outside world. Both ensuite and family bathroom exude a tranquil, Zen-like simplicity. Birch-ply shelving is an elegant touch within the walk-in-robe.

Decidedly energy, water and waste saving, the home employs a solar array, high levels of insulation, quality double glazed windows and concrete slab as hard-working thermal mass. Wide eaves shelter and shade appropriately, protecting from the elements. A 90,000-litre tank with integrated filtration system and composting toileting means there is no reliance on water or sewerage services. The home is also equipped to accommodate ageing in place with many disability design features.

The grounds are manicured with precision, and there is a lovely mix of experiences, from terraced alfresco seating to popular paved arena orientated around the pizza oven, or the more reflective wide shady veranda. Grey water is cleverly recycled via a reed bed for irrigating the permaculture kitchen garden and curving orchard of citrus and stone trees.

features.
.stunning architecturally designed four-bedroom home backing Ainslie reserve
.energy efficient and designed to be carbon neutral
.walls of timber framed windows framing landscape
.open plan living, dining and kitchen area
.large kitchen with island bench, plenty of storage, Bosch oven, cooktop, rangehood and Asko dishwasher
.adjoining study
.wide hallway linking sleeping wing
.master bedroom with walk-in robe and ensuite
.bedrooms two and three with built-in robes
.main bathroom with bathtub, shower, toilet and vanity
.separate laundry
.double garage with internal access
.beautifully maintained kitchen garden with a variety of herbs, fruits and vegetables
.excellent location near Ainslie Shops. Mount Ainslie, Ainslie Primary School, Campbell High School, public transport, ANU and the CBD

solar passive design.
.northern orientation
.eaves designed to allow maximum winter sunshine and limit summer sun
.1:5 ratio of north facing double glazed windows to thermal mass
.100mm Styrofoam insulation and wall bats to maintain a comfortable temperature all year round
.reverse cycle heating and cooling in living (minimally required)
.slab follows and utilises 16 degree ground slope
.thermal concrete slab, extending 500mm deep and 1m horizontally around the house

water supply and filtration.
.90,000L underground rainwater tank designed to supply all home needs
.water filtered through double gutters, first flush diverters, sump with three graded stainless steel filters
.approved composting toilets with negative pressure air system to prevent any odour
.innovative biological reed bed filtration meeting most irrigation needs
.grey water flows through aerated filter and is pumped through to reed bed
.reed bed filters greywater over 5 days into large recycled water holding tank used for garden irrigation

Additional details
.1.75kw grid connected solar system, coupled with high end efficient appliances
.PVC-free construction, polyethylene plumbing and halogen free electrical cabling
. over 100m2 of vegetable and herb gardens, numerous mature fruit trees and raspberry plants
.not connected to mains water or the ACT sewerage network
.winners of the ACT sustainable Cities Award 2007
.recent audit from the Home Energy Design Association of Australia, estimates total annual savings on energy and water bills to be $2813 (in comparison to a typical 4-bedroom home in Ainslie)

accessibility features.
.level thresholds throughout
.wider than standard doors
.thoughtfully placed switches and door handles
.turning areas for wheelchair access
.large light and GPO switches
.provision for a stair lifter

FINE DETAILS (all approximate):

Land size: 1,085 m2
Living size: 186.6 m2
EER: 6
Zoning: RZ1
Build year: 2006

Rates: $6,663.36 pa
Land tax: $12,745.64 pa (investors only)
UV: $1,318,000 (2023)

Rental opinion: $1000 - $1100 p/wk