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Hi Malibu_tan Well I must also agree with the other four comments "the fireplace is a focal point" , all I would add to that is - man/woman has been looking at fire for many years, and it's reference to our being most likely goes back to primordial times. Fire (the moving flame) is deeply rooted in our psychic, and our relationship with safety and comfort, I would remove the heater and celebrate the fireplace. You can always put in an ethanol fire and close of the flue if required, but I would not get rid of such asset to your residence and your life. Depending a bit with the style of the house I would go as far as providing side book shelving storage, or DVD's, or your best collection of miniature spoons should miniature spoons bee your interest. Whatever you wish to display for your or your friends enjoyment. Then I would complete the lounge design around your final choice of tiles and mantle, if you are putting in a slightly better mantle than you have at present, or if you are going for a modernist look. (it all depends a bit on tastes and budget) If you are in a "period style" you could look at something like Regardless of your tastes I think you can get an ethanol insert in just about any fireplace, corny as it sounds the fireplace is "the hearth of the home" . Possibly not the response that you were perhaps seeking, and you might have a lot of reason why you want to remove it - well I would like to hear your comments. Hope this is of some help Regards Michael Manias

Sorry but I would sack the draftsman. He/shes no architect. That roof is a nightmare. I try and think about the function of each room and how you would live in it. The entrance is like a cricket pitch but no where to put the bat and ball when you are finished. You come in from the garage or entry door and you are in the middle of nowhere.. Where you going to put you shoes and jacket. And if you want to use the toilet or wash your hands went you get home you have a 20m trek through the house.?? Don't like the bedroom 1 right at the front door and the doors are all hung wrong. You are going to be walking around them all day. The ensuite is badly sized. Shower to narrow, toilet too long and no basin. You going to be opening that door with dirty hands. Think about the floor space to dry your self and dress/undress. Cavity sliders are a pain. Like you have to open them almost all the way to get through where an opening door you glide through. With cavities also you mostly have to walk into the corner of a room to get in and out (study and rumpus) where as a normal door it 1/2 a step less. Master bedroom walk-in wardrobe is dumb. Draw it on the ground, work out how your clothes will hang, and see how much room you have left. Same for the bedroom 3 and 4 wardrobes..Dumb. What were you thinking with that pantry.. It like 8 steps in then 8 out again. Pantry should be more square, have a butlers sink in it. Be the food prep area, pots dishes etc out of sight especially in an open plan place. Be light and the food perpetration area be close enough to the door so you can converse with the guests or family other wise you might as well have a maid who is not seen or heard. Bed 3 and 4 are miles away from a bathroom. The toilet is probably OK in size, just needs a bigger door. 720 you are going sideways through it. Bed 2 backs onto the shower and toilet. Which room are you going to put your little kid in. Long way from mum and dad.

Hello Jane! I work for an architectural firm (I am a postgraduate architecture student) in Canberra that specialises in small, smart and sustainable homes. Our homes similarly achieve around the 8 star mark - your 8.2 is going to be so comfortable! Fireplaces are a tough one, and I am still torn! If your architect is legitimately across the energy performance spectrum, they will/should have had this discussion with you: in Canberra the heating load required for homes greatly outweighs the cooling load. While they are beautiful and satisfy our comfort and sentimental values, often fireplaces in homes of this performance (7+ stars) are overkill (heating-wise). This being said, I grew up with a wood fire, and love the atmosphere they bring, so it's a tough one! The 'overheating' can be managed through careful zoning and ventilation through your beautiful double glazed windows in 'tilt' mode. Unfortunately furniture layout is the least of your concerns in this situation! In homes of this performance, the building envelope is very well sealed (ie minimal to no gaps connecting inside to outside). As you know, fire requires oxygen intake to fuel the flames. With a fireplace like this, in the centre of the room and (presumably) open, the interior oxygen will be the first to burn. Essentially, a fireplace in a home like this will need an external source of oxygen, or it will go out and leave you all a little lightheaded. This, or extensively open up your home when the fire is burning (which seems a little counter-intuitive). My professional advice is to mirror the lounge room: move the fireplace to area A, with an external oxygen source. Room 'zoning' through clever placement of rugs, dining tables, lounges and half-height joinery can give structure to open plan situations and soften the tendency of these spaces to feel cavernous. Please don't hesitate to ask any further advice - always happy to help!