Sophia 48

Sophia 48 by betterbuilthomes.com.au is a single storey duplex drawn so its main living areas face north for free winter warmth and natural summer cooling. On this page the floor plan is rotated so north is up, the same way Google Maps shows a site.

It suits a block with the backyard to the south, where the street and driveway sit to the south.

An architect has marked on the floor plan exactly where to add windows on the north facing wall of the living areas. Adding them turns this into a true passive solar home: the low winter sun streams in for free heating while a normal roof overhang shades the high summer sun. Show the marked plan to your builder, designer or architect.

At 14.98 metres wide by 20.07 metres deep (about 452.16 square metres of floor area), the duplex needs a build width of roughly 16 metres once you allow for side setbacks. Across New South Wales, turning the living areas to the north keeps a home warm through a coastal or inland winter and easy to shade in summer.

Dudils only lists this plan because an architect reviewed it and confirmed the living areas can face north on a real Australian block. Use the search on this page to check it against your own block width, depth and driveway side before you talk to the builder.