Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Canberra Region Solar Passive Custom Build 21Dec 23, 2021 5:06 pm We got a nice little update from the developer a few days before Christmas. They've told us the majority of the earthworks are complete in preparation for bitumen to be laid. Fencing of the blocks is well underway and the first custom gate was installed (we had no idea when we bought that we were getting custom gates, and they look amazing). Landscaping and the completion of the estate entry statements will be completed in the new year. Apparently the wet weather has continued to be a challenge for the contractors with 58 days of rainfall since civil works commenced earlier in the year. Completion of our stage of the development (Stage 1) is expected in January 2022, with access for valuations to be facilitated at this time. Pending final council approvals they anticipate settlements to be called in late February 2022. This is only about a months delay from what we were last told a few months ago, and considering the crazy amount of rain we've had over November/December, it doesn't seem too bad. The pictures below look promising! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Building a solar passive home in Murrumbateman, NSW. Documenting it here on homeone. Re: Canberra Region Solar Passive Custom Build 22Feb 04, 2022 12:22 pm Update Time We've had a fair bit of progress since December. We've got loan approval and settlement fast approaching. On the build side of things, we're 99% of the way to locking in our final design. The builder came back to us with Version 1 plans that were essentially exactly the same as what we submitted. We're now on Version 3 with a few key differences that we took a little while to decide on: The Kitchen/Laundry: Version 1: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Version 3: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This makes the powder room much more practical in that it can be used if you've been working in the yard or by kids swimming in a future pool out the back, with convenient access via the laundry and mudroom, without dirtying up the main house. It also adds a window for ventilation. The other key thing is that it introduces the fridge into the main kitchen space. I never minded it in the butler's pantry, but was never 100% sold on it. It works much, much better where it is now. Getting the groceries in from the garage is also that little bit easier now. Facade/Roofline tweaks: Version 1: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Version 3: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The initial design was based on my sketches. What you see here is the master bedroom and ensuite. I thought I liked the raised brick wall as a feature, but seeing it properly rendered made me realise I hated it. I mean really hated it. It meant the roofline had to slope to the east, which just visually didn't look right. Plus, with the high ensuite window, it made the whole ensuite look like a bunker. The roofline now slopes north, giving a nice level look from the front, and makes by brain much happier. The tradeoff is that the clerestory windows over the entry hall will be reduced from 600mm to 400mm. You win some, you lose some, I guess. But overall it looks sooo much better. We're not sure yet how we're going to dress that ensuite window. I hate frosted glass generally, so we're possibly leaning toward plantation shutters. The Northern Eaves: This has been the big one. The one I lose sleep over. Figuratively I mean, not literally - I'm somewhat of a sleeping machine. Anyway, the eaves over the northern side of the house are the key to making the solar passive design work properly. The architect sent through a number of videos demonstrating the penetration of the sun into the house at different times of year, based on different eave depths. In winter time, no matter the depth of the eaves, the house will be absolutely flooded with light. Amazing - that's exactly what we want. The trick is working out how much light you want over summer. The eaves are currently sitting at 1200mm over the main living pavilion. The modelling shows this will exclude all direct sunlight from striking the glazing from one month before the summer solstice until one month after it (about 20 November - 20 January). That seems about right, though I'm not sure. On either side of those dates, the amount of sun hitting the glazing gradually increases or decreases based on which side of the winter solstice we're on. If we used the 45% "rule of thumb" for eaves (pictured below), ours should really be just over 1500mm. But, given how much time we spend in our climate trying to heat the house as opposed to cooling it, that seems like too much. With shorter eaves, the sun will do more of the heavy lifting in terms of heating for longer during the year. The risk is overheating during the shoulder seasons if we go too short. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ We're thinking about engaging a company down here called Light House Architecture and Science to evaluate our plans and advise us. They specialise in this sort of thing for the Canberra climate specifically, drawing on climate data and expertise in solar passive design to make recommendations of changes to plans. It'll be a slightly costly little exercise, but it would be peace of mind, and I think worth doing before we finalise them. I've had a cost estimate done but haven't engaged them yet. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Still undecided: Although they're not the most efficient form of supplemental heating, I've always wanted a wood heater and we're going to put one in if the budget allows. We struggled to decide on where to place it, though. We went from here... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ To here... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ It looked great where it was, but was less practical. This way, it's more inviting to sit near, look at and enjoy while in the family room space. It currently is drawn up with one of those smaller windows either side. I think it looks a little odd, and would appreciate your opinion on what sort of window you might put in on that wall instead. I would exclude windows there altogether, but having at least one is important for cross ventilation. Moving it has somewhat limited our furniture placement options, but not super badly. We wouldn't put in an L-shaped lounge there as pictured, though. We considered putting it on the western wall, but it looked like it might be too squishy to get a TV and cabinet in there next to it in any way that still looked good. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Anyway, that's where we're at. There's been some other smaller changes such as increasing the size of the study to about 8 sq metres which would allow it to be used as a small fifth bedroom in a pinch. Overall, really happy with how to the process is moving along, and we're eagerly awaiting (nervously) the costings, which will take a few more weeks from here. Cheers for reading and let me know your thoughts! Building a solar passive home in Murrumbateman, NSW. Documenting it here on homeone. Re: Canberra Region Solar Passive Custom Build 24Feb 06, 2022 4:48 pm Mirrmu83 the vaulted ceiling wise for your climate? hot air will end up there Yeah it's somewhat of a trade off between what's practical and what's spectacular. The clerestory windows will be louvres or awning style windows, so should help create good cross ventilation, particularly at night, to vent any stored heat in summer. In winter, it'll mean some extra cubic metres to heat inside the house, but will also mean more direct light during the day to heat the slab up. So, pros and cons. Building a solar passive home in Murrumbateman, NSW. Documenting it here on homeone. Keen to hear from people in the area who have got KDRB done on whom they got the build from? Looking for recommendations. Thanks 0 21118 Wow I hadn't realised things had gotten that pricey in just a couple of years since I built, that is crazy with how much land is now costing if you aren't lucky enough to… 3 7135 0 4986 |