Sydney Large Apartment Development
7-Star NatHERS Thermal Modelling
Project Details
- Location: Sydney, New South Wales
- Project Type: Multi-Residential Apartment Development
- Scale: Approximately 970 Apartments
- Services: NatHERS Thermal Modelling
- Outcome: 7-Star NatHERS Rating Achieved
Project Overview
EcoMaxHomes provided detailed NatHERS thermal modelling for a large-scale multi-residential apartment development in Sydney comprising approximately 970 residential units.
Large apartment developments present complex thermal modelling challenges. Each apartment can face a different orientation, experience varying levels of solar exposure, and require individual assessment to achieve consistent energy performance outcomes across the entire development.
Our team worked closely with the project’s design team to evaluate the building envelope, optimise energy performance, and achieve a 7-Star NatHERS rating across the development — demonstrating strong thermal compliance for one of Sydney’s larger residential projects.
The Challenge
Multi-residential apartment buildings require a more detailed approach to NatHERS thermal modelling than standard detached dwellings. Key challenges on this project included:
- Scale — approximately 970 individual apartments requiring thermal assessment
- Orientation variation — apartments facing different directions experiencing different levels of solar exposure, heat gain and heat loss
- Glazing distribution — balancing natural light and views against thermal performance requirements across a large facade
- Facade performance — ensuring consistent building envelope performance across different apartment types, levels and orientations
- Design coordination — working within the architectural intent of the project while identifying practical improvements to thermal performance
Our Approach
EcoMaxHomes conducted detailed NatHERS thermal modelling across the development, assessing each apartment type against its specific orientation, exposure and building envelope configuration.
Key areas of analysis included:
Window performance
Glazing specifications, U-values and solar heat gain coefficients (SHGC) assessed for each facade orientation
Insulation levels
Roof, ceiling, wall and floor insulation reviewed and optimised across the building envelope
Glazing distribution
Window-to-wall ratios assessed and refined to balance thermal performance with architectural requirements
Natural ventilation
Ventilation strategies evaluated to support thermal comfort and reduce reliance on mechanical heating and cooling
Thermal mass
Construction type and material selection assessed for its contribution to thermal performance
The Outcome
The final NatHERS thermal modelling achieved a 7-Star NatHERS rating across the development — meeting current NCC 2022 energy efficiency requirements for new residential buildings.
Key outcomes included:
7-Star NatHERS rating achieved across approximately 970 apartments
Optimised glazing specifications delivering improved thermal performance without compromising architectural design
Improved insulation performance across the building envelope
Practical, buildable compliance recommendations coordinated with the project design team
NatHERS Certificate documentation prepared for building approval submission
Key Project Details
- Large-scale multi-residential apartment development
- Approximately 970 residential apartments
- Located in Sydney, New South Wales
- Detailed NatHERS thermal modelling across multiple apartment types and orientations
- Optimised glazing, insulation and ventilation performance
- 7-Star NatHERS rating achieved — NCC 2022 compliant
Do You Have a Similar Project?
EcoMaxHomes provides accredited NatHERS Assessments for multi-residential developments of all sizes across Sydney and Australia — from single dwellings and granny flats through to large apartment buildings and mixed-use developments.
If you are planning a multi-residential development and require NatHERS thermal modelling, our team can help you achieve energy compliance efficiently and on time.