Yarnos I agree with Natasha. Your existing architect will have (well, should have after working on your existing design) an intimate understanding of your site, soil conditions and implications of levels on your design. He/She are in the best position (given his/her understanding of your brief and constraints) to illustrate to you how a design solution such as this can work. No one on this forum is currently in a better position than your architect to explain this to you and outline the affordability of it as an option, based on your site, your brief and your budget. You can visualise this concept by letting your architect demonstrate it for you. If they are not demonstrating it, then you have the wrong architect I'm afraid. And if you are not empowering them to use their expertise and provide design solutions for you, then you either need to get another architect, or be a better client. Architects and designers - the good ones - are creative problem solvers. They are design detectives in the art of living well. They spend their entire professional and personal lives and time studying how people live, and how to create environments (and homes) for them to support them living better - more functionally, flexibly, beautifully. The talent of a good architect/designer is invaluable in elevating your lifestyle ... of taking the 30 year mortgage you're about to wage on this bet of building a home, of taking this massive investment, and turning it into a physical building that is your heaven and haven, your place of sanctuary and inspiration. They expand your vision, interpreting both what you say, and what you don't, into a result that is beyond your imagining. That's why you hire them - because you can't do what they can, and you need them to bring your dreams into life in a way that's better than you could have ever anticipated or created yourself. As a client, you have a responsibility to brief them well, trust them to do their job, be open to their ideas, and be guided by their expertise. The not so good architects and designers are simply drawers and documenters. They 'convert' your brief, your expressed wishes and shopping list into a floor plan that fits, and can be built, but that's simply it. It's a house, not a home. It functionally will do the job, but it never reaches its full potential. And so your life in it never reaches its full potential. You unwittingly compromise, never truly aware of how different, how much better, things could have been. The catch is, you've made a massive investment, and created something that will outlast you and become someone else's home too. So the impact is generational. Your responsibility as a client to these architects and designers is to understand the difference, and ideally not work with them - not unless you can show design leadership yourself. Work out which one your architect is and make a decision. Trust them to do the job properly for you (and give them the ability to do it), or walk away and find someone else. Regards Amelia Lee Undercover Architect www.undercoverarchitect.com amelia@undercoverarchitect.com

These 4 photos showing some window tinting done to add to my priviouse article . A house in Penguin Tasmania overlooking the sea with privacy an sun problems using a dark neutral based film showing one sheet of glass done an one with out with the second picture showing the glare reduction on the floor as a comparison . This demonstrates little reduction in quality of views overlooking the sea but offers many benifits to the customers with out having to close blinds / curtains etc. The other two showing the full reflective film on a commercial shop front with views from both inside and outside as a comparison . ( please note; taking photos facing windows will often result in misleading picture quality due to any glare present , thus resulting in misleading darker looking window views than what normally results from using most tinted films .) The actual light reduction difference between these two films is approx 9% with the reflective being the darker of the two and comparable to a popular dark grey low reflective shade that's also widely popular . Any one requiring some unbiased comments regarding this subject are quite welcome to call me . Although I live in Tasmania , I do offer my services not only Australia wide but also overseas if the need arises . As to the life expectancy of these products . As these are manufactured world wide , the quality ( or lack of) plus the degree of experince and willingness of the installer to make sure they want to try an do a good job ; can make a Hugh difference to the last -ability . Therefore, take care on choosing the film and installer ; and don't buy on price alone. Gary. Protek window tinting (Tasmania )

My parents have a covered south facing alfresco in Perth. It's great in summer. In winter, they use a paved and pergolaed (with deciduous vines) area further from the house that gets full sun. Consider losing the bay windows. They will be unbearable in summer. Or push the eaves out, or plant some deciduous trees in the front. I would shift the rumpus room to where the laundry is. Give it a view. Also, it's probably where you'll end up sitting on hot summer days, as your formal lounge will still get a lot of heat. Consider shifting the master to the righthand side of the plan. You could get a lovely triple aspect (north, east and south) bedroom. You could have double doors that open onto a private seating area too. Put the laundry where the master is.

Strong geometry, cool blue and glass and a plain lawn background. to fill the diamond with bush is going to cancel out its strength. But something different to the slightly sterile design compilation … if the finance is there, get two or three massive raw rock slabs and one spectacular architectural tree. resist going vertical .. layer them horizontally to slightly overlap or break the hard lines of the diamond, but not to obscure it. Then choose you vertical with a sculptural tree. There are vertical cherry trees with spectacular autumn colour which would contrast with the rocks (texturally), and be floaty like the water in the pool…. whatever the tree, lift the foliage up from the soil level, and underplant with jut one kind of tight low ground cover, even moss (if your climate can support) or ground hugging juniper that you can train inside the diamond. This combination of elements is rich for the eye, softens the geometry, and adds interest which is lacking right now. The place for shrubs and grasses and palms is to border the lawn.