Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Please comment / review this floorplan! Need ideas 11Mar 16, 2020 1:49 am Hi firstdream, I have a few questions that really need to be answered, before anyone can really give you meaningful advice. 1. Where are you located? Local climate should be a major consideration when designing a home. What is appropriate for hot, humid Cairns certainly differs greatly with what is appropriate for Canberra, with its cold winters, & hot, dry summers. 2. What is the orientation of the block? Where is north? Orientation of a home has a HUGE effect on comfort & thermal efficiency (think energy bills!). North facing living areas will be bright throughout the year, heated by the sun in winter & shaded in summer (with appropriate length eaves). South facing living areas are likely to be uncomfortable. They will be dark throughout the year. They'll receive no winter sunlight, which will lead to much higher heating bills for most climates. Eastern bedrooms will get morning sun for early risers. Southern bedrooms will be cool & dark. While western bedrooms will cop hot afternoon summer sunshine, which can make them unbearable in most climates. 3. What is your family make up? Do you truely need a 36 sq, 5 bed / 4 bath home? Australian build the largest homes on the planet, averaging somewhere around 240sqm. This house size is unsustainable. In the cities leading to further urban sprawl - threatening native species like the Koala, & replacing valuable fertile farmland. While leading to astronomical greenhouse gas emissions - from higher embodied energy in the build (the energy to manufacture the components of the home), to higher operational emissions for heating & cooling the home, & maintaining the home. Will all the bedrooms be occupied most of the time. Or does this home include a guest room, that will be very rarely used? I think I probably know the answer to that one. Would you rather a large home? Where, along with the negatives I've listed above, you may also have to make sacrifices to keep the costs down. Sacrifice in design, in materials choices, in outdoor space. Or would you rather have a smaller, well designed home? A smart, smaller home. It may incorporate multi-use spaces to save room. Such as a second living area (for childrens'activities), that can also be used for the of first staying over. A home with smart storage options. Spending money on design means you'll have a home with no wasted space. A smaller space will be much easier to heat & cool, saving you money & increasing your comfort. A well designed home will work with your climate. Orientated correctly, to keep cool in summer, & warm in winter. Again, increasing your comfort, & lowering your bills. Using quality building materials. Increasing insulation levels, to keep the home cooler in summer, warmer in winter, again lowering bills & keeping you comfortable. Using vapour permeable wall wrap, to keep the home airtight, again, keeping it warm in winter, cool in summer. Improving glazing, which may mean adding double glazing in cooler climates, or low-e glass on eastern & western windows. Spending money on energy efficient appliances. Like extremely efficient heat pump hot water systems, reverse cycle air conditioners, an induction cooktop. Powering it with a good sized solar system. Meaning the electricity company's will actually be paying you at the end of each quarter, not the other way around. If you're interested, I'd highly recommend reading the Australian government's guide to environmentally sustainable home design, the 'Your Home' website. https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design Start with the passive design section, learning about what's appropriate in your climate, & how to orientate a home correctly for comfort & lower energy use. How to passively heat & cool your home. What levels of glazing, thermal mass & insulation are appropriate...... and so much more. Personally, I'd strive to build a beautiful home, that achieves its most important goal. To shelter you comfortably, & affordably. Not the average, poorly designed cookie cutter home. A McMansion built to the bare minimum 6 star standard (which is woefully poor compared to overseas standards). Compared to an 8 star home, a 6 star home will require more than double the energy to cool it/heat it. A home built by builders & tradespeople (often very poorly), who just want to get on to the next job. With no interest on your comfort, or your future build. I know which option I'd prefer 😁 Oh, & be careful with voids. A poorly designed void will just act like a giant chimney (as will a poorly designed staircase). Leaking heat from your living areas. Which you've spent energy warming up in winter, up to your bedrooms, which are comfortable at cooler temperatures. In summer, up goes that heat again. This time, not making your living areas uncomfortable, but making your bedrooms hotter, not a good thing in summer. Oh, & don't forget the coming smells, & noise, traveling throughout the home. Again, good design is critical! 2 6423 i thought the flipped plan initially but bec i want narrow pathway from entry to dining (dont like bend), also cannot fit the… 7 17278 It is true that a builder can ignore your independent inspection report as it is not part of the contractual arrangement but that is stupid because he cannot avoid fixing… 9 46854 |