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Carbon Debate Puts Immediate Focus on Housing Design

February 3rd, 2012 by admin No comments »

The current carbon tax debate is placing an immediate focus on housing design and energy saving products as prudent people considering purchasing a home or carrying out a renovation will increasingly begin to factor in the cost of running a home and using building products that are less energy intensive to produce, said Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects.

Archicentre State Manager Victoria, David Hallett said considering the carbon tax is planned to be introduced in July 2012 it is prudent for people to consider its impact when planning a building project which can take up to twelve months to commence.

Mr Hallett said, “As carbon pricing will impact both on materials used and on the running costs of the home, the major area for home buyers and renovators to create a winner is at the design stage.

“Ultimately the cost saving starts with the design and siting of the home including making provision for natural light in the main living areas and the orientation of the home to gain the maximum benefit for passive solar heating and provision for water harvesting.

“This is the stage where all of the ideas are assembled and thought through to ensure the best design for the budget is worked out.

“This stage can also be the most expensive time for new home builders or renovators, if they make a mistake on the original design and have to undertake costly variations, the greatest reason for cost blow outs on projects.”

Mr Hallett said the proposed carbon tax is a catalyst for people to look differently at housing and encourage smaller and better designed homes, and being more careful in material selection as a major strategy to cope with Australia’s housing affordability.

Archicentre undertakes over 20,000 reports each year and its Design Concepts consider climatic conditions, prevailing local conditions, site orientation, the zoning or location of the rooms in the home, materials, construction techniques and the building cost.

Mr Hallett said the first step in orientation is maximising the northern aspect, where exposure to the sun is best controlled. Eaves and pergolas can be precisely designed to block the summer sun, and still allow the desirable winter sunshine to penetrate.

“It is important to prioritise rooms based on access to views and solar orientation. An open-plan kitchen and living area, for example, should have top position, while bedrooms or bathrooms require less daylight, as they are largely used for short periods of time, or at night.

By zoning the home, unused areas can be closed off, and cooling and heating appliances can be designed for maximum efficiency and minimum use.

Mr Hallett said the carbon tax introduction will have a major impact on reinforcing sustainable housing design across the market in new homes and renovations.

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Posted in Home Improvement

The Popular Split-Level Ranch House Design

January 31st, 2012 by admin No comments »

Ranch home designs have been extremely popular in the United States since the 1950′s, and are as quintessentially American as jazz and cheeseburgers. A ranch home design typically is asymmetrical and low-slung, with a horizontal, spreading orientation in either a rectangular, U-, or L-shaped configuration. Roofs are gable or hipped with wide eaves. Ranch homes usually have attached garages and feature minimal ornamentation but they contain modern design elements such as large plate glass picture windows, sliding glass doors, and Formica countertops.

Another common feature was the raised ranch, or split level home, which emerged as a variant of the original ranch style during the late 20th century (although some early examples predate the Second World War and Sears’ catalogue of Honor-Bilt Homes listed several split level designs in the 1930′s). Unlike traditional ranch style homes, these were innovative in using interior space. Instead of arranging the rooms on one floor, the style reorganized space in accordance with its use. For example, in one popular split level variant the entryway, kitchen, dining and living rooms occupied the main level; the bedrooms upstairs were accessed by a half staircase leading up; and the laundry area, guest bedroom, and family rumpus room were accessed by a half staircase leading down. In some ranch house designs the garage was placed on the lower level, with easy access via half staircase to the upper level. Another possibility was a split entry home, characterized by a small entry with half staircase leading up to the living areas and bedrooms upstairs and another half staircase next to it leading down to the garage, laundry, and family room. There were many other configurations also.

The split level’s popularity derived partly from its modernity and its differentiation from traditional mid-20th century styles of housing, such as Minimalist, Cape Cod, Colonial Revival, and bungalow cottages. This architecture can be made to blend into a hillside site in a natural manner. These houses maximize their square footage and their curbside presence, and they minimized costs without needing larger lots or basements by taking advantage of the natural curvature of the land, so that earth-moving costs are minimized. The split level ranch style provided an ideal balance between the buyers’ goal of getting as much house as could be for the money, with the builders’ goal of making a good profit.