highlight windows are excellent for in light and excluding unpleasant views and you could also consider a splashback window in the kitchen but where is north and any good views?

Hi Judy, I think it is more important to keep the big windows and doors along the same wall as the kitchen with northern sun and views to the courtyard size gardens, depending what height your doors are you could have framed photos above, but you have heaps of space where the TV is, the corner of the family room, the study nook and one wall of the entrance so I don't see a problem. What is on the boundary that the kitchen faces? cheers

consider highlight windows along the whole side wall and wide windows in the dining area...if the side wall faces west and has the the potential to overheat the highlight windows tucked up under the eaves will help with light and privacy and you can have external blinds for the dining room window and a blank wall up to the highlight windows in the family room for more flexibility with furnishings as the family room has the sliding doors out to the alfresco

I would do a large picture window, say 1m wide floor to 2.1m or more in dining , then high windows in lounge area. Going high here will give you more flexibility. I would also consider a splash back window in kitchen. Or add a skylight which will be cheaper.

Judy, I'm still a little confused about where north is (& it's very important to get the orientation right). Are you saying the street frontage is NE?

If this is the case then your living areas face NW, which isn't too bad (much better than having NW facing bedrooms). But just be aware, if you're having normal sized windows on this side, that you might want to increase your eave length on this side to greater than 450mm. As I think this will be inadequate to shade hot afternoon sun.

As has been suggested, clerestory "highlight" windows would be a great idea along this side of the house. They'll increase your sense of privacy, & you'll be looking at the bright blue sky, not straight at your neighbour. If you choose to use clerestory windows, then 450mm eaves should be adequate to shade these. Plus you'll have have hanging space for your art, & room to place your furniture against the wall!

As for your other question about hydronic heating.

Firstly, are you considering hydronic panels (radiators) or hydronic underfloor heating? Each has their advantages & disadvantages. But be aware that the water temperature for panels must be significantly higher than required for underfloor hydronics.

I'm assuming by "solar" you are talking about solar thermal (evacuated tubes or panels), & not solar PV (electric) panels. In any case, solar thermal is not really advisable for hydronic heating, for a few reasons.

Firstly, hydronic heating (like any space heating) requires a lot of heat. A normal sized solar thermal system (of 30 evac tubes) may (or may not) be enough to heat you're domestic water in winter. But it will not be enough to heat a hydronic system. Not even close! A solar thermal system this size will need boosting to a very, very high level. Even a very large solar thermal system with over a hundred tubes will most likely require boosting.

Secondly, hydronics operate in winter, when your solar thermal is performing at its worst. If you put in a very large solar thermal system (sized to operate hydronics in winter) what do you do with the vast quantity of hot water produced in summer? Waste it no doubt.

Finally, solar thermal is expensive to buy! Installing a system sized for hydronics would be stupid expensive!! Even for a system sized for just heating domestic water (30 evac tubes/300l tank), the current thought is it's not worth the investment, & you can get much better returns on heating your water with solar PV panels. Solar PV is only getting cheaper & cheaper, & once your water is heated the electricity produced can be used for other purposes, or exported to the grid. For houses without good solar access a heat pump domestic hot water system can be a good idea.

So for hydronics, as solar thermal isn't worth the investment, what are your options to heat your hydronics?

Gas boiler. Expensive to run, bad for the environment, but cheaper to install than a heat pump.

A heat pump. A more expensive to install, much better for the environment, much cheaper to run. Particularly if coupled with a large PV system (even better if a large buffer tank is also used).

A "wetback" water jacket wood fire system. Appropriate away from suburbia, though a lot of work (or cost) to keep it fuelled.

Personally, if I was going to all the effort & expense of installing a hydronic system I'd like to think I'd take the green option, & heat it with a heat pump. It would cost though!