Floor Plans
Setbacks
When you are buying a block one of the issues that controls what you can put on a block is the Setbacks of the main structure. Setbacks vary from council to council and can also vary between neighbourhoods in a…
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Planning the Laundry
In England the washing machine and dryer are generally in the kitchen. As a consequence the laundry in our first house we built was tiny. It was just big enough to fit the washing machine, dryer, laundry trough, and a…
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Roof Space – Access
One of the things that frequently gets forgotten is the hatch that gives access to the roof space. Location The usual location is in the corridor to the secondary bedrooms. It doesn’t seem that important but when you need the…
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Door Opening
One of the small things that can really make a difference to your house is how doors open……..but its one thing that is frequently forgotten. This sketch shows a typical bedroom and ensuite layout. (I know it doesn’t show the…
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Buffer Zones
Thinking about buffer zones when you are planning a house layout, or considering builders standard layouts, will save you on heating and cooling costs. So what are buffer zones?…………………………………..Basically they are rooms and spaces that may be heated to a…
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Changing Builders Standard Plans
Most builders will change their standard designs to some extent. The builder of our current house, Metricon, was fairly flexible. Here are some of the changes that you could talk with the builder about if their standard is close to…
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Starting House Design 1- Bubble Diagram 1
A big mistake in designing a house is to get involved in detail too quickly. Rough sketches of a floor plan, which you can easily change, are the best way to start. . . . Much better than using a computer…
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Starting House Design 2 – Bubble Diagram 2
Once you have a basic bubble diagram you can then start to develop it by: Drawing Circulation Routes Think about your block how will people approach the front door. What rooms do you want to overlook approaching visitors. Where do…
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Starting House Design 3
In two other posts (Bubble Diagrams 1 and Bubble Diagram 2) I have described how you can start a design using bubble diagrams. When you are happy with the bubble diagrams then you can start working on how the floor plan will…
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Accessible Design
Accessible design is making a house suitable to be lived in or visited by a disabled person. If you don’t think this is important remember that one in five Australians has a disability. For Instance: You might be fine now…
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