House Plan Thinking
STEEP BLOCK became a non-issue once the ‘sociability’ area was developed at the top of the block. Contrary to most homes that feature pool areas and alfresco spaces towards the back of the property, this design brings these elements out front towards the entryway. “Once the pool was connected to the land, this became a great place to build a platform from. This meant that the roof structure, shadows, and floor plans were also resolved. The sun, which was our enemy, became a friend,” says House.
Give windows a lift Whilst these windows give the impression of customised full-height windows, you could achieve something similar with a standard-height window. Arrange the window head to sit in line with the square cornice by lifting it off the ground. Then use an infill panel at the bottom of the window. The eye will be drawn to the beautiful view, not the skirting.
Hallways Hallways are often forgotten in the powerpoint planning session, as they don’t count as a room on the floorplan. However, it is still very handy to have a powerpoint in the hallway, particularly long ones, as your vacuum cleaner cord is unlikely to reach the whole length of it. TIP: Long hallways are often dark, so powerpoints can also be utilised for free-standing floor lamps to brighten up the space.
Step your home along the site By creating a series of pavilions that step down the slope of your site, or by altering the ceiling height of each pavilion on a flat block of land from front to back, you can install clerestory windows along the north-facing ceiling line as well as additional glazing to the side of the building. This allows light to enter deep into the heart of your home so that all rooms receive maximum solar penetration.
For example, if the builder has allowed $200 for a bath in his quote and the bath you select is $700, you will need to pay the $500 difference, and potentially an additional 20 per cent margin ($100 in this case) as a variation. This is where the multiplier of cost variations can really bite – when you consider a $1000 variation may actually cost you $1200 by the time the builder’s margin is added (at the builder’s discretion).
Temporary site requirements Be sure to check with the builders that they have included all temporary site costs in their quote, like temporary fencing, a site toilet if required, and erosion control measures as required by your local council. These are the kind of items that often don’t appear on any drawings, which gives an unscrupulous builder an opportunity to claim them as a cost variation, because they weren’t shown on the drawings.
Steep pitched roofs A roof built with a sloping angle of 35 degrees or more will create an internal void where you can place a beautiful open truss, a scissor truss or rafters – without the need to increase wall height, which can make for a huge cost saving. A steep, pitched roof is practical too; it allows for leaf litter and rainwater to clear much faster than a flat or lower-pitched roof.
Ceiling heights Ceiling heights are often dictated by the size of the plaster sheets available, which are generally 1200 or 1350 millimetres high. Most volume builders prefer 2400-, 2550- or 2700-millimetre-high ceilings because they can use two sheets of plaster on top of each other with only the one join. However, if you were to specify a 3000-millimetre-high ceiling, even though you have only slightly increased the height, the builder would charge you for an entire extra plaster sheet. Multiply this across all walls and the cost is huge.
2. Tiles Choosing several different tiles for your floors and walls can really add to the cost of your bathroom. The tiler will need to spend more time getting the pattern and positioning right, and instead of charging you by the metre, they will charge you an hourly rate to lay the tiles, which quickly adds up
11. Standardisation There is a reason why high-volume builders can build homes to an exact budget. Just about every conceivable building material can be bought off the rack, from windows and doors to kitchen cabinets and floor coverings. You can achieve great budget savings by asking your designer to specify standard items
6. Roof design A simple design consideration such as the shape of the roof can have a big impact on the budget. The roof of a building is essentially a hat to keep the water out of your home. The fancier the hat, the more it is going to cost. In roof plumbing language, the more hips, valleys, gutters, downpipes and flashings you have (a fancy hat, in other words), the more it is going to cost. The flat roof of this home is very simple and drains away in one direction, keeping the cost down.
3. The shape of the building Keeping the form of your building to a simple shape will have a ripple effect across the whole construction process, saving money and keeping your budget in check. Having fewer twists and turns in the shape of the building allows each of the individual trades such as bricklayers, carpenters and concreters to work faster and more efficiently, and the cost savings are passed onto the client.
Alterations and additions to an existing home An extension, try to limit structural alterations of your existing home where possible. Building your addition away from your home and linking it with a smaller structure such as this glazed access path is one way to do this. Traditionally the link is lower in height than the home under renovation and the new structure, so it fits neatly under the existing gutters, meaning there’s no need to make changes to the exiting roof.
7. Grounding your home Whether you have a sloping or flat site, how you place your home on the land beneath can significantly affect the construction budget. Raising your home on posts requires fewer site works such as cutting the land beneath in preparation for the home above. A simple platform is built and the build above reverts to conventional building methods.
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