Hello, Sorry in advance to bring up an old thread/subject, However looking for any additional advice/direction i can get on comment from midesign0401 below... mldesign0401 In Victoria a range hood is a requirement in new kitchens. No longer is it acceptable for a simple exhaust unit, rather it must now be ducted to external air. So your range hood must be flued either through your roof space or via a horizontal duct to an external wall. It must be installed and signed off, and your house insurance will require your sign off document if your house insurance is to cover damage due to fire, or you will find yourself in a predicament. The provision for installing a range hood above a gas cooktop is a minimum placement of 650mm above your cooktop, and 605 for an electric hob. Including induction. Hope this helps. Our new home got handed over to us by builder just before Christmas (21/12/2018), We are still waiting for under mount rangehood to be installed into our kitchen, The house was delivered with no rangehood as the hole they provided was to close to accommodate rangehood selection, After a couple of visits we have been told that cupboards are to be removed and replaced, Which we are still waiting for as the 'cabinetmaker is very busy', My inquiry is to see whether there is a building code reference/link I can forward on to them to hurry the process up, Also concerned that insurance would not cover our new house if there happened to be a fire Thanks in advance, We look forward o nay help, Regards, Ken and Nadia Buxton

Hi Brett, first off - well done for reaching out (without ego) and asking those that know and those that have tried and found results. If you are going with the brick veneer, the cavity is key to your moisture and thermal capabilities, after years within the house. Gyproc is not designed for anything but a 'skin'. If you increase thermal layer on the walls by asking he outer layer of the stud work with good quality silver sarking or Tyvek. Tape joints to eliminate vapour transfer to internal gyproc. Use 12.5mm gyproc on all external walls. OR Use 12.5 silver backed gyproc board on walls instead of previous. If coast effective -I would use this on the ceilings also. Principle being - isolate the internal breathing environment both thermally and other from the externals. Then deal with any ventilation or thermal issue by themselves internally. Look at why a house is designed, then go 100% better. The problem with roof voids is cold at night and heat in day, focus on high air barrier and high 'R' values here. Internally, consider + and -, as in, where it is cold-draw heat to it (South+ low) where it is hot, draw coolth to it (North & high). The result will be both continuos balance or equilibrium in comfort, thermally, energy and ventilation wise... Hope this helps : )

Could leave off the doors and use the borrowed light and ventilation from the hallway/entry. Just need to make sure you can get the 10%/5% as required. Those windows may need to be bigger. Or Have the doors with glazing (obscure perhaps) and openable like 'Aneeta' sashless and the like. Maybe have timber louvres instead of glazed teamed with the glazed doors. Or Install a skylight or two that opens (many do). Can get them with blinds to cut down on the light coming in. However go back to designer before doing anything else and have them justify to certifier why they believe it complies......

I'm going to thro a wobbly into this mix: Have you thought about going two storey so there is some outside space for boys to play? Looking at your site plan play is either in the pool or the street! Master bedroom, with all the robe you want upstairs and a kids free zone! Or boys rooms above as long has they do not own hob nail boots! Then do not use ALL the extra space on ground for your film works! Seriously this would give you some breathing space and some real outdoor living area to enjoy which you can do in Ipswich climate. Four beds separate bath rooms and stairs above with a laundry chute. Down stairs a real laundry (proportional to a five bed house) A powder room with shower for after pool. Your study of a size worthwhile and theatre room for family second sitting room as well as clients. The master can then have better sized robe, all the bits you want in ensuite including separate loo (lovely idea) but please on outside wall with window. Personally, I'm not one for two storey but in this tight site I think it would be much better. Good Luck, Margot