Browse Forums Building A New House Re: New home plans -- comments please 8Aug 04, 2015 5:00 pm I'd have some concerns about the sun entry. On a sunny winter day, it can be nice having a large northern window somewhere in the house where you can escape to. Some Eastern sun into bed 4 would be nice too, but the water tank has to go somewhere. The western sun to a bedroom can be a pain in summer, so it'd be worth planning out the windows so that they are suited to external shading. Also a light-coloured and/or insulated garage door can help against the heat load in the garage. Re: New home plans -- comments please 10Aug 06, 2015 3:41 pm I would have echoed oneJohn's thoughts, on northern glazing, & passive solar design. As, depending on your location in Queensland some winter heating may be required. I'd have a good read of the government's Your Home website, particularly the section on passive design for your climate, http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/design-climate It says the Frazer Coast is in Zone 2. Some of this zone will require some winter heating (in which case passive solar is a good idea), some will not. You'll be the best judge of your heating requirements. Although northern glazing is also good for daylighting throughout the year, & who doesn't like a nice bright house. One thing you will require in Zone 2 is plenty of passive cooling by cross-ventilation. Which direction do your summer breezes come from? What are the dimensions of your block? I'm no expert, but your house doesn't look very good at all for cross-ventilation. A narrower profile house, that is only 2 rooms deep, would be much better. So I'd consider stretching the house, & building more to the rear of possible. Hot summer sunlight causes most of its problems when it's coming from the East & West, not North (as the sun is higher in the northern sky in summer). Your biggest problem will be your master bedroom, in the NW corner, with its W facing window. This will be the most uncomfortable room in summer. So you have a spare bedroom, or will they all be occupied? I'd consider moving a room that is unoccupied in summer to this location. If that's not possible, consider planting a tree in front of this window for shading, using low-e glass for this window, & attaching an external awning. As for E facing windows, these also add to summer heating. Depending on your block, I'd consider having that large alfresco run down the eastern side of the house. As for the entrance, that long external corridor does look a little unusual. As suggested, you could shorten it, increasing the area of your internal entrance. At the moment that external corridor also adds to the external surface area of the build, which adds to cost. Another option may be too move the master (or whatever room you have here) to join with the garage, & having a side entrance, into your living areas, on the northern side of the house. Re: New home plans -- comments please 11Aug 07, 2015 2:23 am Thanks for your comments D. I should have posted a profile view which would have given a better view of the house (have edited them into my orig post). Changed some windows to highlights to lessen the exposer on the western side and have ducted reverse cycle aircon and 9 fans throughout the house. Our block is 864 m2. Thanks again .. comments have been great and taking them on board.. Will try to implement some but see how far the dollar stretchers. Re: New home plans -- comments please 12Aug 07, 2015 12:46 pm The climate does make quite a big difference. I can imagine in QLD that there wouldn't be so many cold sunny winter days, and so nothern windows aren't so advantageous as they are down south. I also recall from living in coastal NSW the most important thing was to get access to the easterly breeze with decent sized sliding windows to that side, because as long as you could get the breeze through it would keep the house temperature down to the seabreeze temperature, and you didn't need air-conditioning for the vast majority of days. Even east/west sun entry isn't such a big deal in that case, because the air changeover overcomes the sun heating. So climate optimisations depend a lot of the region. I am building Enfield 201 by Mimosa Homes - York Facade Link: https://www.mimosahomes.com.au/new-homes/enfield-201/ I did my colour appointment last week. I am looking… 0 585 Really tight at the top of the stairs- how to get furniture into those rooms? Study books - does anyone really use them these days? Large storage closet would be more functional. 2 6889 Ask the council if there is a chance of getting build over easement exemption. Sometimes easements are unused and 24cm is not all that much. Good luck. And yes any builder… 2 13775 |