Understanding designing a home

A floor plan is an overhead view of the layout of the spaces inside a dwelling (cut through the walls at 900mm from floor level). The floor plan will include locations of fixtures like sinks, hot water systems, electrical boxes and etc. Floor plans will include general notes specifying finishes and construction methods. Any extra detailed information about finishes and PC items will be included in documents called Specifications or Schedules. These documents hold the details about your home that cannot fit into the plan. These documents are created by the building designer to ensure that the builder and the client both understand the type and quality of finishes required for the build.

Designing a home usually involves working with an architect or designer to plan a new home, including:

• Creating a floor plan to show the locations and layouts of rooms
• Sustainability principles (such as good orientation and climate design) and features (such as advanced glazing and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems) are incorporated.
• deciding on construction systems, materials and finishes
• choosing inclusions such as appliances
• designing landscaping.