Thanks ok louise. Yes I agree on not having a fixed roof over the deck. The sun will be crucial in winter.

A wide window in kitchen will let in light, which will be important especially because there's a verandah on front of house. No, I wouldn't cover deck either. Our views are also to the north and west; our master & kitchen face north, and living faces north & west. We have decking on west and north sides, and very deep eaves. I'm just thinking it would be nice if you could access outdoors via a deck from your master.

Also, the other bedroom on north side could also have deck access. Just an idea.

Good point annb1997. I'll into extending the deck for the master.

Hi everybody, just wondering if you can see any flaws or areas for improvement in the floor plan. Sometimes it's helpful to get an objective point of view. Thanks.

kitchen and living areas are shaded by the projecting kids bedroom wing ...i understand that the block is 23m wide and your plan is under 20m...do you plan to have car access into the backyard? if not, i suggest you consider stretching the house wider to gain better solar access and/or create a multi purpose guest or living area so that kids and adults can have separate activities

The master bedroom will bear the brunt of the summer sun/heat in its current northwest location. If the garage was relocated more in line with master, but setback say 2-3 metres, then the master would have more protection from western sun without entirely losing the western views. I hope that makes sense. Otherwise, I recommend external blinds to master and other forms of shading.

What roof and eave dimensions are you considering?

Thanks everyone for the comments. It's much appreciated. oklouise and ddarroch, I see what you mean with the projection of the eastern side shading the living area. Missed that. I'll need to somehow fix that. Just when you think the plan is looking good...

oklouise, we won't need car access into the backyard. The block is 23m wide, however, the land covenant has a required 1.5m distance to the side fence. In regards to the eastern wing, we have 2 teenage kids, so they will have the 2 southern bedrooms with the spare larger fourth bedroom being a teen hangout or guest room.

ddarroch, I have read parts of the http://yourhome.gov.au. A lot of information to take in. Regarding the kitchen, my thinking was to have a 600mm high by 2-3m wide double glazed window just above the bench to let in light and also southern breeze to help cool the house in summer. I take your point regarding the kitchen being on the eastern side to separate southern rooms. I have toyed with that in the past. In regards to roof type, not sure yet, just trying to get the floor plan right then take to an architect/designer. Regarding the Master bedroom, I wasn't planing on having a window on the western side. Good insulation though.

girlguides, the entry to the eastern wing would be on the lower side of the eastern living room wall. The tv would be placed higher on this wall too.

annb1997, I'm not sure I understand your remedy to the problem. Is it possible to explain again? I wasn't planning on having a window on the western side as the views are out to the north and to avoid the sun. So without a western window, I thought it would be ok to have the bedroom on the western side.

Oh, my bad. I thought your views were to north AND west, but I misread. You are correct.

Hi there Bathhurst,

My concern is the positioning of the kitchen , I think I remember you previously not wanting to open the front door and see into/through the house. This is exactly what is going to happen by having the kitchen at the front of the house, but worse because not only will you see through the house but via the kitchen?

My suggestion is to move the kitchen to the side of the family room, this also gives wonderful access to the laundry, always good to have kitchen and laundry together, extra sink access to outside and possible extra storage. Also has a great link to the Alfresco space.

The kitchen in this space will also help buffer the bedrooms

My drawings have improved slightly, only just.

That's a good revised floor plan; I like the relocation of the kitchen and it's aspect is much better.

I'm wondering how the entry will look once you walk through the door, Bathhurst. Will it be a short and narrow hallway, so to speak, before you enter into the living areas? Just curious what you're thinking.

I'd like to see the front door swing back to the left away from the wall for a bit more privacy, other than that a nib wall set back from the front door.

For me I'd go without any entry wall for more space and have the view through to the alfresco as the kitchen is tucked away. If anyone is going to see anything it will still be via the old kitchen window.

The Old kitchen position could now become open dining.

Hi Christine, siriuskey, and annb1997, thanks for your comments.

Christine, having the ensuite on the western side is a possibility.

siriuskey, my thinking was to have frosted glass in the kitchen so as to not be able to see through to the living area. Thanks for the suggestion to move the kitchen around. Also a possibility.

annb1997, you might be right, the hallway will be shortish, say 2.6m, and 1.4m wide.

My biggest concern from feedback, is the eastern wing shading the living area. I am keen to change this and retweak the plan so as to capture winter sun in the morning too. Very important in cold Bathurst.

There's so much to consider, I question the position of the kitchen, you mention that this window was for through breeze and light and now you mention frosted glass

, To get the through breeze you would need to have this window open?

It would be lovely to have french doors or such opening out to the Verandah. cheers

You are right siriuskey. Frosted glass windows that will open. Doesn't sound too private does it? So much to consider!

That floor plan really suits for range of roof styles. I also like how you pushed out master while still giving it access to deck. Looks good, oklouise!

Having the bedrooms both projected out offers better protection and use of the deck. sort of mirroring the front.

Some good ideas there oklouise. Thanks for putting in the time. Still a bit worried though about the eastern bedroom casting shade over the living area.

Don't forget the view through the kitchen Bathhurst, you will regret that, lovely spot of a dining table though. When do you hope to start building

The land has just been registered, so trying to finalise a floor plan to take to a architect/designer. Also trying to find a local builder who is able to build a energy efficient house. It would be ideal to start building early in the new year.

Perhaps if you speak to a Local Architect he could point you in the direction for building an energy efficient house and builder, and save you a lot of time. I don't know about your area but the builders are all flat out in ours.

Good advice siriuskey.

This from Yourhome

there are several sustainable building designers advertising in our local area and with an inspection of your block and confirmation of compass headings and gradient they should be able to make plans including accurate 3D images showing shadow patterns for every aspect of the building (including inside the house) at any time of the day for any time of the year...(my vintage CAD programs can do this) a suitable professional should have all the latest equipment to ensure that you end up with a design that suits your location and is ideal for your family...Good design is the best investment to make the best of your block of land but, make sure you have detailed description of what is important in every room and for every family member eg do you prefer to iron in the laundry, do you have regular overnight guests, do you want space for a double fridge, do you need somewhere for lots of gardening or hobby equipment etc etc don't waste the designer time and your money paying them to draw up tentative ideas...that's what HOUZZ is for!!

I'm not aware of sustainable builders in Bathurst. Although, there was an article of a recent sustainable build in Mount Rankin, near Bathurst. Green Homes are no longer building in Orange/Bathurst. Driving around new areas in Bathurst, it is surprising how many houses don't take into account orientation. oklouise, if you know of any builders, I'd be interested to know.

Bathhurst, I googled your neck of the woods and got onto this site. There's an upcoming event end of this month that might provide an opportunity for you to have your say on the topic of sustainable and green housing.

https://bathurst.nsw.gov.au/building/planning-controls/bathurst-housing-strategy.html

Bathurst I agree with you, I googled local Spec builders, GJ etc and no one seemed to put forward the importance enviromental design I guess that's extra.

But at the same time it's extremely important to support local Industry and trades as this will give back to you and your area, so that your family and your broader community can survive

And if your land has just been registered I can only imagine that there are others in the same position.

reluctant to specify an individual with whom i've not had recent personal experience.. Google "sustainable building designer Bathurst" for many references including specific details about the recent Sustainable House day sponsored by local Council and including details of a specific property..... but, keep in mind that builders will usually build whatever you want and many prospective home owners decide that they like a specific feature or floorplan, regardless of how unsuitable or less than ideal for their property (eg the gradient of your block may suggest a better alternative from an on site inspection?), when a relatively small investment in good design can often include your preferred features in a more suitable floorplan and, despite having had personal experience with several excellent builders i have to say that builders and trades prefer to continue with their tried and tested methods and in our smaller communities "newer" ideas sometimes take longer to be accepted... We've had more success by focusing on the design first and then expected to queue for a suitable builder...(which gave us more time for the DA and BASIX and mind changing and new products and saving and site preparation and propagating plants and collecting taps and tiles and vanities and etc etc)

Please don't allow any builder to design your house, a local Architect is the most important part of your new build,an on site inspection where can you give a list of what you would want from them to work their magic and would be projected by them to your builder to build and follow through.

Builders that we have worked with are very happy to adapt and learn and actually love new challenges.

As mentioned there would appear that there will be quite few new builds next to yours.

Support your locals as this could lead to future employment for your kids

I am keen to support a local builder. Bathurst is a growing town so there are heaps of builders to choose from. I'll do my research. Also keen to use the services of an Architect, just not keen to pay big dollars for it.

What's the best way to use the services of an architect? I don't want them to manage the whole thing from beginning to end. Just floor plan and design. Is that possible with an architect?

Really valuable advice. My own house was designed by a sustainable housing design firm in Melbourne and constructed by a regional Victoria builder. Architects and builder consulted with one another from time to time to ask and answer queries and problem solve throughout the entire process. Both parties learned from one another. The architects gained a better understanding of building costs in a regional area, and the builder was able to redesign the roof which cut $70k from the budget and execute a project where his problem-solving skills and creativity were brought to the fore. I completely agree with above comments that a designer/architect is best suited to design a sustainable home. Never before had we used the services of an architect and we knocked back a couple before we found the right people for the project. And at a reasonable price.

Thanks annb1997. Good to hear it was a reasonable price. So you engaged the services of an architect for the initial design stage then builder from there?

Yes it is possible, Bathurst. There will be a range of services that a building design firm or architect can provide. One of the services will be project management - if you wish it and have the budget for it, but you don't have to opt for that. They will be able to explain all the steps and then you can decide which you want and which you will handle yourself. We did not opt for the project management service simply because we had built before and had a good understanding of the processes and scheduling. We were in regular contact with the builder, and visited the site regularly. We also spoke with the architects anytime we felt we needed help or advice. Fortunately it was a positive experience and I'm glad we did it.

my local draftsperson would probably charge about $3000 -$4000 to do a site inspection and draw up my rough plans and associated paperwork for your house to a standard suitable for local council without adding very much design advice and it should be a good house...Depending on any changes that price could be more but don't expect less (plus costs of DA etc) and the plans and basic specifications are essential before you can negotiate with a builder and submit a Development application...an Architect would charge more for the extra design advice as well as the drawings but, as a proportion of the total cost of the project including the block of land and the house, a great design is the foundation on which everything else depends so why not talk to Draftspeople, Designers and Architects and obtain specific quotes for their services before you decide what will suit you best

Thanks for that annb1997. Although we have built before, using an architect is new for us. Much appreciated.

Thanks oklouise. I will do that.

Yes, we engaged a design firm, had an initial meeting to discuss the brief and visit the site. Then we had another meeting to see a concept plan and meet the design team and discuss the project. months later, we had a design we wanted. The team then costed the project and builders were contacted to bid on the project (8-10). It came down to two excellent builders which we interviewed. We selected the builder who redesigned the roof to bring the project cost closer to budget. No other builder thought to do that. Then, as I said, we decided not to engage the project management services and do that bit ourselves.

I was also going to suggest that you drive around your area looking at any new builds, who's building them and what Architect/Design firm has been involved.

You could introduce yourself to any builders that you felt you might be interested in working with, call the Architect etc to discuss. If you can find locals to do the Job that's a plus, if there are any problems they are on the spot to sort.

One of our Houzzers had a very bad experience where the Structural Engineer changed something without consulting anyone which ended up causing a major problem and expensive to boot.

As annb has rightly pointed out you don't need to employ the Architect for the complete job as this will be more expensive, if your builder is good at his job he will manage everything with your input. Architects plans can be more detailed/complicated and sometimes there may be the need for the builder to check back with him/her.

Big plus is that you are building where you live and are able to keep tabs on how things are going, very exciting time for you and your family

The following company is NSW based near us and is currently doing a major renovation of a two story house only 2 houses from us, might give you some assistance with your journey

http://onemiledesigns.com.au/

Thanks for the tips siriyskey. Got a couple of local leads today.