Thank you My Beautiful Abode for your comment. The blind installer informed us that the blinds can't be released from their brackets and that once installed, a blind and it's bracket has to be removed as a unit. However, the window manufacturer demonstrated to us how the screens can be manipulated in sideways and then forced into position. Each time this procedure is carried out the window frames and fly screen frames are prone to damage. We don't believe that the present bracket design "is fit for purpose" and would not have purchased from this manufacturer of blinds had we been aware, or advised, that the blinds could not be released from the brackets.

On closer inspection I've determined the north facing windows (30º west) don't need extra shading, but the easterly kitchen & laundry need exterior vertical drop blinds, the morning Queensland sun has plenty of bite. The south & south-west bay windows need partial angled exterior blinds, but will include the south-east bay for symmetry. One westerly Master window sharing a corner with a southerly ensuite window I considered a small shade sail, but as there is a garden bed there I think maybe a horizontal slat panel as a frame for climbing plant, hinged for maintenance access & climbers rooted at the hinge side(s). Finally a fixed decorative screen outside a westerly garage window near the front door.

As an architect, I have previously been taught that creating a sustainable home is about designing it so that living in it lowers energy and water use. This is achieved through designing for orientation, using thermal mass and specifying fixtures and finishes that are low impact, reuse water on site, etc. However, the latest research is showing that this is not enough to impact the rate of climate change. And that what we build from needs to be considered in order to make a dent. This is because the timeframe required to see the benefits of sustainable living in a home, is a longer play than the upfront construction from low tox, low energy, minimal footprint materials and methodologies. It has to be a two-pronged approach. Choose materials and products, and constructing efficiently with low energy and low waste. Having carbon neutral homes. And designing homes that over the long term, are low in energy and water consumption, and support the health and well-being of the occupants. A project was established in mid 2017, called “The Building Code Energy Performance Trajectory Project”. It involved the Sustainable Built Environment Council and ClimateWorks Australia, and is described as an industry-led initiative seeking improvements to energy requirements in the National Construction Code. The report was released recently, and what was amazing in this report was to read that 58% of Australia’s buildings in 2050, will be built after 2019 … which means that there’s huge potential to impact their performance and the environment through better energy requirements. And these energy requirements have not been rigorously updated since 2010, despite electricity prices having doubled over that time. Detached housing will comprise 64% of the new construction between 2019 and 2050. So every homeowner has the opportunity to seriously change the landscape of energy use and efficiency in our country. There’s some sectors of the industry really pushing back against this … largely because they believe it will dramatically dent their profit margins to have to build houses with higher star ratings. Australian homes, on average, perform very poorly, and our expectations are super low. Steve Baczek, an American architect, said something about American houses that I think sums it up for Australia as well ... “It’s not that High-Performance Houses cost too much; it’s that our idea of a fairly priced home is based on a history of building houses to meet embarrassingly low performance benchmarks. Clients don’t realise the difference between built to code vs built to last”.

Wow there are so many angles on the rooves (roofs?)... I don't know the right or best option but I imagine the deck being curved, to create some interest. I want bug chunky timbers in dark stain like recycled wharf beams or railway sleepers. I think start by removing the little roof over the porch and opening it up flush with the brick wall of the front door. Then install chunky beams (wood or steel) that fly quite high and straight over the void between the 2 sides of the house. I would use a polycarbonate roof in that area to let extra light through and not make the house entrance too dark. The area behind the carport where the deck is level with the rear of house, I would have a solid roof that matching the pitch of the back of the house, or even not have a roof at all. I would leave the entry deck area and the curve unprotected. My only question is this... is this an area you would hang out seeing its quite disconnected from the living areas? perhaps having a more ramp like entrance with interesting trees in the void area and making a matching deck on the other side might work. I just feel if its only going to be an entrance its a big capital investment and an expensive exercise with all the roofing.