Guides
Plain English guides to north facing house plans, working out which way your block faces, passive solar design and feng shui layouts. Written by the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Orientation, blocks and building
North Facing House Plans: What It Really Means
What a north facing house plan actually is, why it matters in Australia, and how to tell whether a plan will work on your block. Written by the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →How To Work Out Which Way Your Block Faces
A simple step by step way to work out which way your block faces and where the sun will fall, so you can choose a house plan whose living areas point north.
Read the guide →Which Rooms Should Face North In an Australian Home
North is good for almost every room, so get as many onto it as the block allows. Living areas are the ones you never compromise, and even the laundry and bathrooms want north to help them dry and stay mould free. Only the garage and study are better out of the sun. Written by the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →Passive Solar Design Basics For Australian Homes
The five ideas behind passive solar design, orientation, glazing, shading, thermal mass and insulation, and how they add up to a home that is warm in winter and cool in summer.
Read the guide →How To Choose Windows and Glazing for an Australian Home
Windows are the weakest part of your thermal envelope. Here is how to read U value, SHGC and VLT, match the glass to each orientation, and choose a frame that performs. Written by the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →How To Build an Efficient All Electric Home
The order to spend your money in for an efficient all electric home: roof first, then walls, floor and windows, then reverse cycle heating, heat pump hot water and good lighting. From the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →Natural Light and Healthy Home Lighting
Why natural light matters for wellbeing, the 6 metre rule for windows, and how to choose electric lighting that reads like daylight. From the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →How To Check a Block Before You Buy or Bid
The checks I run on a block before anyone signs a contract: which way it faces, what actually fits inside the setbacks, and the planning constraints on the land. All of it works from just the address, before you own anything.
Read the guide →Engaging a Builder: Quotes, Contracts and Defects in Plain English
How to compare builder quotes like for like, what the contract terms actually mean, and how inspections and defects work in New South Wales. Plain English from the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →Does a North Facing Home Sell For More?
Why aspect sits at the top of so many property listings, what a north facing home gives every future owner, and how to make orientation visible on the day you sell. From the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →Feng shui
What Makes a Floor Plan Good Feng Shui?
The six feng shui layout checks read off each builder's floor plan, what the purple feng shui friendly label means, and what it does not claim. From the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →Is a North Facing House Good Feng Shui in Australia?
Classical feng shui faces a house south, to the sun, because it began in China. In Australia the sun is to the north. What practitioners say about flipping the compass, and how north facing living fits in.
Read the guide →Is a Front Door in Line With a Back Door Bad Feng Shui?
Why feng shui warns against a front door that lines up with a back door or rear slider, what it means for wind and privacy, and the simple fixes. From the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →Is a Staircase Facing the Front Door Bad Feng Shui?
Why feng shui warns against stairs that run straight down to the front door, what it means for a two storey home, and the fixes. From the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →Is a Kitchen Seen From the Front Door Bad Feng Shui?
Why feng shui keeps the kitchen out of sight of the front door, what it means for privacy and cooking smells, and the fixes. From the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →Is a Toilet in the Middle of the House Bad Feng Shui?
Why feng shui warns against a toilet or kitchen in the centre of a home, or a toilet door facing the front door, and the practical fixes. From the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →Is a Bedroom Over the Garage Bad Feng Shui?
Why feng shui advises against a bedroom over the garage, the practical problems with fumes, noise and a cold slab, and the fixes. From the architect who reviews every plan on Dudils.
Read the guide →Which Blocks Are Bad Feng Shui?
What feng shui says about a block at a T junction or on a corner, a block lower at the back, and house numbers like four and eight, with the practical side of each. Check a NSW block from its address before you buy.
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