Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Jul 20, 2022 9:21 pm Hey all, I went to local building designers and the only one interested said 8-12 week wait. So I'm learning Autodesk Revit, the result of a busy week of learning and a few draft plans can be seen below. The garage is about 15m from the road and 10m from boundary. Our target was under 260m2 but struggled to find something with everything we wanted. That puts us in the realm of $400-450k (I think, if any builder would ever talk to me) Apologies in advance for the dimensions and lack of room labels, still working out the program (open to advise). Really just after a sanity check, red points close to north. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: DIY plan sanity check 2Jul 20, 2022 9:46 pm You should learn about passive design. You want the living areas on the northside if possible for optimal heating during winter. https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/orientation Building designers and architects will be very helpful in this area - even if it means waiting a couple of months. A few months vs how ever many years you'll live here vs how ever much money saved on heating and cooling costs. Things that immediately pop out/suggestions - * what is your block of land like - slopes/easements/access - you have to design to your block. * no windows in the 3 back bedrooms? Or main bath/ensuite. * $1,600/sqm is probably very hard to do in the current climate and may only get you a low level of inclusions/finishes. * entry is ... lacking. * may need to sacrifice rumpus or home theatre if you need to save space/money Re: DIY plan sanity check 3Jul 21, 2022 12:49 pm Edit: Just ocurred to me i never mentioned location. Rockhampton. Thank-you for the reply, I have read that a lot on passive designand struggle to implement a lot of the recommendations with the orientation of the block and the desired direction of the 'alfresco' (SSE in this situation) There is no easement, but the orange squiggle below is roughly the top of back to a failr large overland flow path. The catchment for the swail is only the couple of acres from the block next door. Very soon we will be cutting on the high side of the block from 1m at the highest point to about 5-600 near the front boundary (3-4m off boundary). The lack of windows was just me not finishing the draft properly, the plan is to have windows on those rooms on the N and E side, avoiding the Western side. I agree with you on the budget and understand depending on price we will have to comprimise with finishes/fixtures, but hoping to get the 'bones'of the house right. Agree again with the entry, I might have a play with adding a traditional porch style and run it by the boss. I think with where we are at the moment, I really just want to be able to present a plan we like to builders and actually hear from them that it will cost $XXXX and make changes.adjustments from there. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: DIY plan sanity check 4Jul 21, 2022 3:42 pm i would bump the ensuite wall out level with B1, bring B1 forward to line up with games room wall, bring bathroom and laundry wall out to line up with ensuite wall, the extra space van make childrens retreat area bigger , just lose the internal wall or make B4 bigger, turn B2 and B3 sideways to line up with B4 and Bathroom walls, will make house easier to build and give more useable yard space Re: DIY plan sanity check 7Jul 22, 2022 6:10 pm aussieta move bath and laundry to right to align with right hand side rotate b2 and b3 90 degrees clockwise to align with left and right sides of house so b2 and b3 run left right, instead of up down That is how I read it originally but ended up around 300m2 if i was to keep the kids retreat and either a really wide bath/laundry or spare space on the bath/laundry door side of the hallway. Re: DIY plan sanity check 8Jul 23, 2022 7:54 am Family Man Hey all, I went to local building designers and the only one interested said 8-12 week wait. So I'm learning Autodesk Revit, the result of a busy week of learning and a few draft plans can be seen below. The garage is about 15m from the road and 10m from boundary. Our target was under 260m2 but struggled to find something with everything we wanted. That puts us in the realm of $400-450k (I think, if any builder would ever talk to me) Apologies in advance for the dimensions and lack of room labels, still working out the program (open to advise). Really just after a sanity check, red points close to north. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ attempting some variations to your plans but what is the maximum width and length of the whole house site and does it have to be a similar shape as the external variations make the roof more complex and expensive, are there any special views in any direction and assume that you want the alfresco under the main roof and need a front porch Re: DIY plan sanity check 9Jul 23, 2022 8:18 am Nice views to the south east side of block looking downhill. Open to ideas but planned to place dwelling close to north west side (40m max building between setback and swale batter) to maximise usable yard area. We will never have neighbours on the south side of the block, only in the orange square to the north. We have an acre total, but only about 1500m2 of main 'yard' the rest will remain full of trees blocking the summer afternoon sun hopefully. No real restrictions on shapes, we have never build before and we have spent the last 8 years in a 2 story shoebox (75m2 footprint) so anything 'grand' is foreignn to us but we know what would feel nice when comparing to our current place. I.e big door to alfresco, kids computer/ lounge, light controlled media. Re: DIY plan sanity check 10Jul 24, 2022 1:04 pm I was't happy with bed 3/4 door layout. This is the latest revision, total was 274m2. Changes were glass sliding/stacker size increase at Kitchen, Kitchen layout shuffle to allow a broom/vac storage cupboard. Main bathroom lengthen and layout change. Swap ensuite around to allow natural light. Windows in ensuite and main bath do't show correctly but should be 1200x900mm Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: DIY plan sanity check 11Jul 24, 2022 3:16 pm Family Man I was't happy with bed 3/4 door layout. This is the latest revision, total was 274m2. Changes were glass sliding/stacker size increase at Kitchen, Kitchen layout shuffle to allow a broom/vac storage cupboard. Main bathroom lengthen and layout change. Swap ensuite around to allow natural light. Windows in ensuite and main bath do't show correctly but should be 1200x900mm Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ getting better but my suggestions include a much simpler building and roof shape that saves floor space and will be easier and cheaper to build and could even allow for raked ceilings in the major rooms (check out scissor trusses that allow for raked ceilings within a standard roof shape...even an extra 30 cms of headroom over the centre of a room will increase the feelings of spaciousness with no need to alter the standard 2400 ceiling height BUT the most important savings in floor area is to avoid using 250 external walls that need about 15 sqm of extra floor area and brick veneer is not ideal for tropical climates where a single thickness external wall with steel frame and cladding will be lighter, quicker and cheaper to build and not retain heat overnight (see YourHome.gov.au for building in the tropics) my revised floor plan totals 261sqm using my vintage American CAD program using 10cm walls inside and out (the window seat in the media ..not master...uses an extra metre over your limit) but always best to redraw my plan using your own program to confirm my sizes) i've omitted some hallways and made the central hallway/study nook big enough for a study desk and wall cabinets/shelves and adding scale sized furniture, helps explain the available space and convenient walking paths throughout the house and i've included a separate plan showing roof shape and room sizes and strongly recommend using mostly louvres windows and deeper eaves and minimize number and sizes of any windows without generous external shading, screening the alfresco, porch and verandah with framed shade cloth can control bugs and also help reduce overheating and in a perfect world you might stretch the budget to include a verandah alongside the laundry (about 15 sqm of extra floor area) to shelter the doorway and provide an outdoor shaded mudroom and location for a wall hung clothesline and you will notice that i've sacrificed a little space off the garage that can also be used as a wet weather rumpus room as i will assume that with a bigger block of land you may choose to build separate sheds and ideally that could later be provided with a separate steel building connected to the main house with a breezeway or carport on the western side of the house Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: DIY plan sanity check 12Jul 25, 2022 10:57 am Thank-you oklouise, your time and effor is much appreciated. To be honest, there is some things that I'm not a fan of with your changes, but i see why you have made them, on the other hand, I REALLY like some of the ideas and will head back into REVIT to try and implement them. The reason I stuck with the 2 bedrooms at the top of the plan was to completely avoid and glazing on the Western side of the house, should i be reconsidering that stance? I just know the windows will never get used (like in our current house, even at the time of year direct sun is just too much past 2pm. Regarding your comment about seperate carport, our original plan did not have a garage and i really like it, the inlaws and the internet convinced me to try and fit a double garage into the scope. Old plan attached, you will be able to see the similarities i carried across, much simpler shape and from memory it was 236ish m2 . Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: DIY plan sanity check 13Jul 25, 2022 5:50 pm The less square the better to avoid rooms with no or little natural light like you have done in the latest drawing. This is much better than the original versions. Also helps to air out the house if it's rectangular. Does the building have to be orientated that way? I.e can you run a rectangular shape with the long side facing north? That way you don't have to worry so much about western windows in the afternoon and you can easily use an eave across the long northern side to protect any windows there for much of the year. Like you said, the western wall will bake unless you have awnings and trees to shade in the afternoon. Your entry is a bit awkward and living space also an awkward shape (also maybe too deep/square). Deep and square rooms aren't great for light, especially as your sliding door will be coming in from an undercover alfresco. The robes between two bedrooms can be a side by side set up. Gives you a bot less robe space in each but creates more space in each room (or reduces footprint). Another point. The bay window coming out from the house creates complexity to the roof (given it goes to the ceiling) and more wall junctions (the less the better). I'm not sure how this works with your current set up, but try and create a bay window that is inside using a cupboard(s) or an adjacent room to 'box' it in. If you're not hiring anyone to help you then take your time and don't be afraid to try lots of variations. You'll get better at it the more you think about it so long as you don't get stuck on one idea. Looking back on our first sketch for our design, there were some terrible ideas even though at the time we thought it was amazing. Definitely listen to undercover architect. That's a gold mine for anyone trying to design their own concept. Re: DIY plan sanity check 14Jul 25, 2022 7:56 pm Family Man Thank-you oklouise, your time and effor is much appreciated. To be honest, there is some things that I'm not a fan of with your changes, but i see why you have made them, on the other hand, I REALLY like some of the ideas and will head back into REVIT to try and implement them. The reason I stuck with the 2 bedrooms at the top of the plan was to completely avoid and glazing on the Western side of the house, should i be reconsidering that stance? I just know the windows will never get used (like in our current house, even at the time of year direct sun is just too much past 2pm. Regarding your comment about seperate carport, our original plan did not have a garage and i really like it, the inlaws and the internet convinced me to try and fit a double garage into the scope. Old plan attached, you will be able to see the similarities i carried across, much simpler shape and from memory it was 236ish m2 . Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ happy to attempt other changes but my aim was to see if i could include everything within the 260sqm and having renovated houses in the tropics the windows that work best allow for maximum cross ventilation and any essential east or west windows can be shaded with external shutters ...very common in traditional Queenslanders and i would also add ventilating skylights over the central study and kids retreat to help create a draft through the whole house....i'm also not keen to have a double garage just for cars especially when you have enough land to add a future carspace and/or sheds if/when needed and you may like to consider an idea that worked very well for us was a giant steel carport added to an existing house that was used as carport and alfresco similar to the attached variations for your house and can be partially walled and/or screened with lattice or shadecloth to make a multi purpose garage/breezeway/carport/alfresco and i've also added some extra variation for the kids wing and ens/wiw..there's always many options (check out pavillion floor plans )but if you use only10cm walls and similar sized rooms to what i've included you will find that the jigsaws fit together much more easily Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: DIY plan sanity check 15Jul 25, 2022 9:57 pm oklouise happy to attempt other changes but my aim was to see if i could include everything within the 260sqm and having renovated houses in the tropics the windows that work best allow for maximum cross ventilation and any essential east or west windows can be shaded with external shutters ...very common in traditional Queenslanders and i would also add ventilating skylights over the central study and kids retreat to help create a draft through the whole house....i'm also not keen to have a double garage just for cars especially when you have enough land to add a future carspace and/or sheds if/when needed and you may like to consider an idea that worked very well for us was a giant steel carport added to an existing house that was used as carport and alfresco similar to the attached variations for your house and can be partially walled and/or screened with lattice or shadecloth to make a multi purpose garage/breezeway/carport/alfresco and i've also added some extra variation for the kids wing and ens/wiw..there's always many options (check out pavillion floor plans )but if you use only10cm walls and similar sized rooms to what i've included you will find that the jigsaws fit together much more easily Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I had the alfresco/garage set up like this at one stage, my wife overuled it due to blocking the views when in the alfresco. I was even open to a full shared alfresco/carport. Best of both worlds in my eyes. I very much appreciate your efforts, I went back to startng from scratch tonight to see if i could get something closer to my original shape but the creative juices have dried up for now. Too many wants and needs to settle on a plan it feels like. Also, i know the verandah squares up the front of the house, not would make the final plan though, don't think it would ever be utilised. (By us a anyway) Re: DIY plan sanity check 16Jul 25, 2022 10:07 pm stonesthrow The less square the better to avoid rooms with no or little natural light like you have done in the latest drawing. This is much better than the original versions. Also helps to air out the house if it's rectangular. Does the building have to be orientated that way? I.e can you run a rectangular shape with the long side facing north? That way you don't have to worry so much about western windows in the afternoon and you can easily use an eave across the long northern side to protect any windows there for much of the year. Like you said, the western wall will bake unless you have awnings and trees to shade in the afternoon. Your entry is a bit awkward and living space also an awkward shape (also maybe too deep/square). Deep and square rooms aren't great for light, especially as your sliding door will be coming in from an undercover alfresco. The robes between two bedrooms can be a side by side set up. Gives you a bot less robe space in each but creates more space in each room (or reduces footprint). Another point. The bay window coming out from the house creates complexity to the roof (given it goes to the ceiling) and more wall junctions (the less the better). I'm not sure how this works with your current set up, but try and create a bay window that is inside using a cupboard(s) or an adjacent room to 'box' it in. If you're not hiring anyone to help you then take your time and don't be afraid to try lots of variations. You'll get better at it the more you think about it so long as you don't get stuck on one idea. Looking back on our first sketch for our design, there were some terrible ideas even though at the time we thought it was amazing. Definitely listen to undercover architect. That's a gold mine for anyone trying to design their own concept. Thank you for your comments and advice. See pictures above, the block faces ENE, I not sure what the rules are around a house not square to the property boundaries, if that's what you meant. Agree with you on the entry/ living, open plan and big were the instructions . I need to go through some inspiration images with my wife i think. Good point on the bay window. again it was in the wife's want list and idid th really consider how they they are constructed etc. Only really see the pictures from the inside. Undercover architect, noted, thanks again. Re: DIY plan sanity check 17Jul 26, 2022 9:04 am Family Man stonesthrow The less square the better to avoid rooms with no or little natural light like you have done in the latest drawing. This is much better than the original versions. Also helps to air out the house if it's rectangular. Does the building have to be orientated that way? I.e can you run a rectangular shape with the long side facing north? That way you don't have to worry so much about western windows in the afternoon and you can easily use an eave across the long northern side to protect any windows there for much of the year. Like you said, the western wall will bake unless you have awnings and trees to shade in the afternoon. Your entry is a bit awkward and living space also an awkward shape (also maybe too deep/square). Deep and square rooms aren't great for light, especially as your sliding door will be coming in from an undercover alfresco. The robes between two bedrooms can be a side by side set up. Gives you a bot less robe space in each but creates more space in each room (or reduces footprint). Another point. The bay window coming out from the house creates complexity to the roof (given it goes to the ceiling) and more wall junctions (the less the better). I'm not sure how this works with your current set up, but try and create a bay window that is inside using a cupboard(s) or an adjacent room to 'box' it in. If you're not hiring anyone to help you then take your time and don't be afraid to try lots of variations. You'll get better at it the more you think about it so long as you don't get stuck on one idea. Looking back on our first sketch for our design, there were some terrible ideas even though at the time we thought it was amazing. Definitely listen to undercover architect. That's a gold mine for anyone trying to design their own concept. Thank you for your comments and advice. See pictures above, the block faces ENE, I not sure what the rules are around a house not square to the property boundaries, if that's what you meant. Agree with you on the entry/ living, open plan and big were the instructions . I need to go through some inspiration images with my wife i think. Good point on the bay window. again it was in the wife's want list and idid th really consider how they they are constructed etc. Only really see the pictures from the inside. Undercover architect, noted, thanks again. designing a floorplan to suit everything you need and want is always much more challenging than expected and your idea of designing a rough floor plan is excellent but that's why an architect or designer is usually worth the cost and why building companies that are prepared to modify their existing plans are so popular and cost effective so inspecting open houses and floorplans and studying all the ideas suggested with YourHome.give.au etc is very useful but there will always be compromise and i'm happy to test any other ideas for you ... best of luck with your research Assuming the structure of your cabinetry is good then I would DIY everything as follows: - replace your counter tops entirely, - replace all drawer runners with soft close… 1 5579 Re my second point – yes exactly. And often it may take additional time if the manufacturer recommends no more than X meters… 3 6553 |