Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Apr 07, 2015 12:38 am Hello, We are looking at purchasing the following block - Lot 157 on the attached pic of the subdivision to build the house with the attached floor plan. I am terrible at understanding house orientations and need help with this. Am I reading the subdivision properly by saying that lot 157 is a West facing property which is not good? Considering we want a pool in the backyard, I'm assuming that we would get sun in the yard in the morning and early afternoon and then the pool would be in shade for the rest of the day which would not be ideal. We haven't got as far as playing with the house plan/layout etc, the yard and pool area are very important to us, so before we even purchase the block, I would like to understand more about its orientation. That is where you experts come in! HELP! Re: House Orientation help! 2Apr 07, 2015 1:51 am I believe the preferential orientation is east facing block with living areas on the north side of the dwelling. Have minimal, if any ,glazing on the rear of the dwelling as that faces west. This ideal has been what I have strived to do in block choice and house choice. Sometimes you just have to work with what you can have. My choice was for a single storey dwelling too. I don't know much about the principles when it comes to two storey house orientation. You can get some information on orientation form google too. Floorplans can usually be mirrored too when required. Crossover location also dictates house design. So many things to take into consideration. Re: House Orientation help! 3Apr 07, 2015 4:57 am I would be happy with that house on a west facing block if it was handed (in other words a mirror image. that would mean most of the windows would face west On a summers evening it would still be warm but the low sun would not be in your eyes on the Al Fresco. There is some more advice about orientation here http://www.anewhouse.com.au/2012/02/block-orientation/ The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: House Orientation help! 4Apr 07, 2015 9:10 am You're right that the pool would only get the morning sun. Also bear in mind that block has an easement which means that you can't build any permanent structure (including the pool, I think) over it. You could certainly make the living areas work facing north if you flipped the whole plan. Jen (& Dave) Plantation Bronte, Ormeau Ridge, Gold Coast QLD 12/03/2015 - Commencement... 26/08/2015 - Handover! viewtopic.php?f=31&t=76446 Re: House Orientation help! 5Apr 07, 2015 9:57 am Whether it faces East or West, you'll still get the same amount of sunlight on the pool across the day. It's just whether you get the shadow in the morning or afternoon. That easement devalues the block significantly. As it's on the south side, it likely means you have to build to the northern side of the block, which will cast more winter shadow over your own block, and your house is more in the shadow of the house next door during winter. If you keep the bulk of your house to the southern side of your block, you also don't shade your back yard until later in the afternoon. Conversely, lot 158 is more valuable, because the people in 157 will be forced to keep away from the boundary. In warm temperate climates one thing to watch are west-facing bedrooms. They can be a real pain being hot in the evening. But then the cool down more across the night, which can be a problem with young kids. Your plan isn't too bad here, because it doesn't have much window to the front. But then West-facing blocks are problematic because any shade structures for western windows are visible from the street. 0 560 You’re on the right track, wire brush in a grinder then a zinc rich epoxy primer then a top coat of some sort, like a waterproofing membrane. Raising the concrete would… 1 7031 How good is Simeon?! Always taking time to help others out! Wish we were building in NSW and could work together. Thanks for all that you do! 7 6566 |