New build layout options - elevated house, two wings separated by deck

last year

last modified: last year

Edit: this post was originally just about a MB layout, but the feedback was awesome, so i've opened up the rest of the house for suggestions. Original post is below.

Designing a new house in the tropics (Darwin, Australia) where it is hot and humid most of the year. Needs to be airy and breezy - hoping to maximise passive cooling.

Original Post:

Hi,

I'm currently designing a new home, and am unsure of how much space I actually need when designing the Master Bedroom. I'm currently trying to fit the bedroom, WIR and ensuite into a 6mx6m space, but am unsure if this is sufficient.

If possible, I'd like to have a sliding door and window on opposite walls of the bedroom to allow for good airflow and cross ventilation. I live in the tropics, and so it is hot and humid for most of the year.

The ensuite does not need a bath, but if possible a small partition for the toilet would be nice.

Please see the below bedroom with entrance door, sliding door and window. I've also included the basic floorplan for the bedroom wing of the house.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Featured Answer

oklouise

last year

last modified: last year

using your external dimensions the overall size feels much bigger than necessary but depends on what you need for each room but a few ideas to consider

but using smaller options eg a basic minor bedroom could be about 3m x 4m + wiw or biw, the extra space in the master bedroom could be used for a study but sliding doors from master to deck reduces privacy and dining room and kitchen could be much reduced and still good sized rooms and reducing the two modules could save an amount almost equal to the size of a double garage without spoiling the basic floorplan and that inlcudes the extra MPR and enough space for an upstairs laundry or pwdr room

Comments (26)

Kate
last year
So you need master suite plus 2 beds and a family bathroom with sep toilet. Are u flexible with all walls?
Adnan Mustafa
Original Author
last year
Hi Kate,

Thanks for your interest.

Yes, I'm flexible with internal walls and length of the bedroom wing.

For context, this is an elevated design and this wing will be separated from the main living area by an outdoor deck. The aim is to keep the design only one room deep so as to maximise passive cooling.

I hope that makes sense.

Cheers,

Adnan
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The Your Home may say that a northern frontage block, like yours, is a good orientation for energy efficiency. But this comes with one major caveat, the living areas MUST face north & be unshaded in winter time. This means building a home with the garage or back (if there's a rear lane), or pushing the home back a bit & building a carport or garage at the front, which is separated from the home ( & won't shade it). But this is not what usually happens. Usually a large double garage is located at the front, taking up a large portion of the northern aspect. Robbing the home of northern light. Your block is reasonably narrow, at around 11m. Take out the side setbacks (if you're not allowed a zero lot boundary for the garage) & you have 9m for the home's maximum width. 6m width for the garage, more for the entrance, add the thickness of the walls. What you're left with is very little, & you wouldn't even have enough room for a single north facing room. In this scenario your block orientation is a very poor choice in terms of energy efficiency & comfort. The home will be dark, & cold in winter. With increase bills for heating, lighting & maybe even cooling (if you have a lot of eastern & western windows). So I'd you are planning on building a pretty normal home with a big double garage at the front, & have the option to choose another block, is highly recommend you do so. The blocks on the opposite side of the street are the idea candidates. A southern frontage, where a large garage could be located, without shading the home. Importantly, north facing living rooms located out the back. These will be light, warm in winter, cool in summer (shaded by eaves). If you are unable to change blocks & don't have access to a rear lane for a garage, there's a few things you can do. But you'll have to be a bit adventurous to get good results, or forego a double garage if that's what's in the plans. As you don't have a very large block, there's not much room to push the home back, & separate it from the garage. A different option is to build an 'upside-down home'. With living areas upstairs, bedrooms below. Locating the living areas towards the front of the home will mean they will be light, & warmed by the sun in winter, with access to cooling breezes. Bedrooms will be cooler & darker. Ideal. I'm actually living in an upside down house right now, with north facing living areas 😁 If this type of design is too much of a stretch, & you'd like a more familiar design, there's options to limit the dominance of the garage in the northern aspect. Reducing its width by building a single garage or a tandem garage. If you must have a double garage, & don't have a zero lot boundary, the only way to fit a north facing room would be to have a side entrance to the home. Shortening up the hallway length, leaving part of the northern aspect to one northern room. As you can see, your choice of block, with a northern frontage is a poor choice from an energy efficiency perspective. But you can overcome some of these limitations with good, inventive design. You won't get this from an average volume builder.
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oklouise
last year
last modified: last year
plenty of space for a variety of options and something like either of these would fit but there needs to be more windows (modern louvre windows are ideal for the tropics)

but how does the bedroom wing attach to the rest of the house and what is the purpose for the extra wide parts of the hallway...?
Adnan Mustafa thanked oklouise
Adnan Mustafa
Original Author
last year
Thanks for your input oklouise!

The whole house will be elevated, and the bedroom wing will be attached to the living wing with a deck in between.

There is no purpose exactly for the extra wide parts in the hallway… I'm struggling with dimensions overall. E.g. I've made the bedroom wing quite wide, but then the bathroom may be oversized. The hallway could probably have extra storage like linen cupboards also. I also just want reasonable sized hallways so I can shift furniture or pass another person.

In regards to windows and louvres, I figured I would try and get the basic layout down and then add those in. This is my first time trying something like this, so let me know if that's something I should be considering now!

Cheers,

Adnan
Adnan Mustafa
Original Author
last year
Oklouise, thanks so much for your two options also! I prefer your first one, but my wife is leaning towards the second!
oklouise
last year
the separated wings joined by a deck sounds excellent but first place to start is the block of land with a site plan showing length and width of your block, direction of north and any views or special features like slope, existing trees or future pools, then post the site plan with the whole house plan and a wish list and HOUZZERS can offer lots of suggestions but my next idea is to always add scale sized furniture, bathroom, kitchen and laundry fixtures with walking paths around the rooms and that will help clarify suitable rooms sizes
Kate
last year
Family bath.
Adnan Mustafa thanked Kate
siriuskey
last year
Having lived in the tropics I know how important airflow is, tall Louvre windows are extremely good for this and highlight windows like shown in the family bathrooms, these can be timber or glass Louvres

I have made Bedrooms 2 & 3 the same size, bathrooms are grouped together which helps with cost, the family bath shown with bifold windows, is there any view.

Master bedroom suggestion with doors opening into separate spaces to help with airflow.

As OKL has mentioned you need to know where any breezes come from. so positioning the house on your block needs to include this
Adnan Mustafa thanked siriuskey
Adnan Mustafa
Original Author
last year
Oh wow, thanks siriuskey.

I hadn't realised how comprehensive and considered the advice I'd receive would be.

I think I'll need to upload my site plan and the living wing ideas also.
Janet Thomas
last year
5 hand basins! Can’t see this as necessary, certainly a waste of resources and so much extra cleaning!
siriuskey
last year
It's up to you how many basins you want these were just suggestions for you to consider or not
oklouise
last year
last modified: last year
i suggest that siruskey's idea was to show what can be included in the available space...over 100 sqm is very generous size for just bedrooms and bathrooms and the same size is enough for an extra living area, shared bathroom and wiw for the minor bedroom..or numerous other options.

all depends on personal preferences, available space and budget but i would prefer to not have bedrooms and bathroom open off a living area
siriuskey
last year
This house has a separate bedroom wing accessed from the deck, it only has 2 bedrooms, a third could be added to these or added to the opposite side. The roof can be whatever but I have shown it with a classic which could also extend out over the alfresco
Adnan Mustafa thanked siriuskey
Adnan Mustafa
Original Author
last year
Hi,

Thank you all for your help and input on my master bedroom and bedroom wing in general!

As advised, below is a picture of the block with an indication of north.

I've also included a very basic house shape with the two wings, separated by the deck. This is roughly how I wanted to house to be layed out, but I am open to suggestions. Currently, the bedroom wing is towards the front of the block.

My thought process is not to have a big boxed in house without airflow. This is an elevated design, and I'd hope that the deck between will act as a breezeway.

I've also included two pictures of what I had been thinking for the living wing. The requirements for this wing are:

A dedicated entrance/foyer

A study nook

A living area that opens onto the deck

A kitchen (galley style with an island) on the bottom or right side of the living wing so that it can look into the backyard

A butler's pantry - mainly for a large sink and dishwasher, and at least enough space for a second fridge/freezer

Thanks!
dreamer
last year
Are you having any covered vehicle space?
Adnan Mustafa
Original Author
last year
Hi Dreamer,

As it's an elevated design, cars will park underneath the house.

Cheers,

Adnan
dreamer
last year
Thanks Adrian, that gives a lot more context to your plan, because you have always said elevated, but this could mean just a metre above ground.
Adnan Mustafa thanked dreamer
Adnan Mustafa
Original Author
last year
Hi Dreamer,

Sorry, I'm in Darwin in Australia, and 'elevated' always means the same thing here. I think it might be comparable to a 'Queenslander'.

Cheers,

Adnan
Adnan Mustafa
Original Author
last year
Hi oklouise,

Yes, I'm starting to realise that I might've gone overboard with the dimensions. Your suggestions are really helping me picture the space better.

We had planned on putting a laundry under the house, and had hoped to maybe have it under the family bathroom with the intention of having a laundry chute.

Cheers,

Adnan
siriuskey
last year
You mentioned being open to other ideas, this offsets the two pavilions.

You have the bedroom wing at the front of the block, I think the living should be there which allows you to view any incoming plus you will still have a view to your rear garden, also parking the cars under this wing makes more sense to me. Being in Darwin you will need undercover stair access to the house during the Wet season so I suggest you add a front door at ground level beside the cars, I have shown it entering the family area next to the WIP.

There's a powder room and study, by moving the family bathroom next to the breezeway will give access to the 2nd powder room so you could eliminate the other.

The bedroom wing would have a wall of Louvre windows to make a breezeway off the bedrooms.
Adnan Mustafa thanked siriuskey
Adnan Mustafa
Original Author
last year
Hi siriuskey,

I had previously been considering an L-shaped layout, but i did some reading about passive cooling and orientation, which is how i ended up with the two wings running parallel. From what i understood, i should avoid exposing the long sides of the house to the sun. Do you have any thoughts?

Cheers,

Adnan
siriuskey
last year
Sorry I'am not a Solar expert but having lived in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands the most important things were Breezes and catching them, with lots of strategically places windows, mostly Banks of Louvres . Large overhanging eaves to protect the building from direct sun. Highlight windows can be helpful to allow hot air to escape And planting shade plants. Ceiling fans are also a must for those breathless times.

Since Darwin was demolished by that horrible cyclone I believe that the houses are now built quite differently to what I remember them, similar to traditional QLDERS. cheers
oklouise
last year
last modified: last year
the yourhome.gov.au has some specific advice and examples for tropical homes
oklouise
last year
last modified: last year
your original upstairs floor plan is about 220sqm plus downstairs and although this rough plan has 4 bedrooms and a much bigger deck it's smaller than your original and uses same sized modules that should be suitable to be built out of "house rated" steel sheds with steep hip roof, wide eaves, raked ceilings and louvres windows ...including downstairs the total floor area is about 260sqm
Adnan Mustafa thanked oklouise
Adnan Mustafa
Original Author
last year
Hi oklouise,

Thanks for your input again, and the recommendation of yourhome.gov.au. I had viewed this website some time ago, and the information on there is now much more comprehensive. A lot of articles I had read about housing in the tropics were coming out of India and other Asian countries.

I really like how you've offset the two wings, and I think this will help with cross ventilation and directing breeze through the house. With the offset, the living wing would be able to look into the backyard, but could also have a view of the front gate (an idea advised by siriuskey).

I'm liking the idea of a ground floor entryway and internal stairs, but I think I would locate it on the bottom of the living wing. I think we would park under the bedroom wing (carport, not garage), and then walk under cover of the deck to the entry. Internal stairs on the left-most side of the living wing, will lead up to the living wing in a kitchen/dining/living configuration (maybe similar to your previous plan).

Cheers,

Adnan