Sorry, I can't recommend any plans. But I do recommend reading this government website,
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/orientation
Which direction does your block face? Much better to have your living areas (&…

Wow, I didn't know this was the case. Crazy bureaucracy! I understand why they don't want them pointing south, but within 45 degrees of north seems a bit tough.

I'm no expert on this. But I would say, just be careful adding thermal mass to your second story. As hot air rises, in summer second stories can become hot…

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Thanks for posting here. I wish more people would, so they'd end up with thoughtful, well designed houses, not energy hogging mcmansions.
I'm sorry to say that my comments about your…

I hate it when architects don't take orientation & passive solar design into account. Should be the first thing they think about, as it greatly effects comfort. What are they…

Agree with Beetaloo. Ideally you should build a rectangular house, along the E-W axis, so the longer sides face north & south. Locate your living areas to the north, so…

Yeah, & because of the earth's thermal mass, & consequently thermal lag, the seasons lag behind the path of the sun. The winter solstice isn't the coldest time of the…

Although narrow frontage blocks & narrow house designs are more common, I'd much rather have a square-shaped block. A square block greatly reduces the chance that you will be overshadowed…

AC heating is EXTREMELY efficient, with COP's (coefficient of performance) in the range of 3 to 5. This means they can use as little as one fifth the electricity as…

Haha, yeah just lost some of another one, luckily I copied most of it, so could just paste it back in. Yeah, our posts are overlapping. That rear access is…

The first post that I lost was about outdoor areas. Firstly, some more questions, about your location. Are you in a quiet street? Possibly a quiet cul de sac, by…

F*ck. Just lost another post. Was just saying, in regards to the small bed 4 (in the current meals area), & bed 3 (which will also be 2.7m wide, as…

Sorry, this IPad keeps refreshing while I'm writing, & I lose what I type (just lost a paragraph on outdoor areas. Grrrr). So I've been editing what I've originally typed.…

Yeah, thinking about natural light & maximizing the sunshine that enters your house in winter is a very, very good idea. Designing for the path of the sun is called…

True, like timber, a metal frame is protected from the environment. I'm wasn't saying that it isn't. What I'm saying is why over design? Why choose metal, that is more…

Timber is WAY more sustainable. If sourced correctly, it is a carbon sink, actually extracting carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Steel emits A LOT of CO2 during it's manufacture.
A…

Definitely worth the upgrade. Just about the cheapest bang for your buck to build a comfortable,energy efficient home.
The other thing that's important, which you can often do for free, is…

Where in QLD are you building Pickylady? Your location (actually your local climate) will dictate what construction method you should use. Generally, if you are located near the coast you…

Agree, that's the place to ask. One thing they'll tell you over there is to do just as much research about the installer as you do about the PV equipment.…

This government website offers tonnes & tonnes of advice on how to build a comfortable, energy efficient home.
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design
Briefly, face your living areas (& a large proportion of…

F*ck! Just wrote a big post & lost it all. TWICE! So, a shorter version.
After going over the renderings, a few things to note:
* a cube has the smallest surface…

kiriray, I must say I love the modern style, & think it's a very attractive looking home. I do love the cantilever on the left hand side, it appears that…

How about something smaller? Unless my maths is out, which is quite possible, $807,000 @ $23,000/square works out to be a 330sqm house doesn't it? That's a whole lotta house,…

I'd recommend NOT having a wide veranda to the north. It will rob your house of daylight throughout the year, making it much darker, & shade direct winter sunlight, keeping…

You're very lucky to have a north facing backyard. I'd use this to my advantage & look for a design that follows "passive design" principles. That is, choose a design…

Although not so common, wide frontage blocks are great! Many blocks are very narrow nowadays, which leads to overshadowing issues, & makes it tough to come up with an energy…

You'd be right in assuming that you'll want shade in summer for west facing rooms, particularly bedrooms. Eaves are quite ineffective to the east & west, as the sun is…

Yep, you're correct. External shutters are much more effective than internal shutters or blinds. Short wavelength light from the sun passes through glass easily, & heats objects within the room.…

Agree with architect_yourself. Wherever possible, it's a good idea to position your living areas, & a large proportion of glazing, on the north side of your house. It's called passive…

Well done Dean Turner for reviving this thread. It's been a long time. Wish it had a sticky, as it's such a useful thread.
My responses are on your other thread,…