Study Plans include:
- A mini set of design-oriented drawings set up for 11"x17".
- A choice between a Paper version sent by US Priority Mail or the PDF version sent via email.
- Unlimited printing with PDF's for sharing with family members.
- 6 to 9 pages of drawings depending upon the complexity of the home.
- Click here to see an example set for a 1.5 story home with daylight basement.
- Schematic site plan, floor plans (with room sizes and furniture), daylight basements if applicable, exterior elevations, a schematic section of the house to help visualize the interior, kitchen elevations and garage plans.
- A mini set of construction drawings set up for 11"x17"
- Choice of PAPER sent by US Priority Mail or PDF version sent via email. (Select PDF to print extra copies or share electronically with other building professionals.)
- 10 to 16 pages of drawings depending upon the complexity of the home.(See each house plan description for the drawings that come with each design.)
- Dimensions and construction notes.
- Click here to see an example Review Set of a 1.5 story home with daylight basement.
- A copy of the Study Plan.
- An "Opinion of Probable Construction Cost" from Sun Plans if requested. Sun Plans evaluates the design and compares it to similar home designs for which other clients have provided construction costs. A range of construction cost is provided. (This is based on national information. Sun Plans does not have statistics by state, region or country.)
- Six sets of Construction Prints on 24"x36" paper shipped via UPS ground or PDF computer files sent by email
- 10 to 16 pages of drawings depending upon the size and complexity of the home. (See individual house plan descriptions for specific drawings for each design.)
- Schematic site plan (cover sheet showing how to orient the house for passive solar gain)
- Foundation Plan (either slab-on-grade, crawlspace, below grade or daylight basement)
- First and second floor plans (many construction notes, window sizes, etc.)
- Exterior elevations (all four sides shown in hatched detail)
- Schematic Building section (cut-away through the home showing basic configuration)
- Kitchen elevations (all sides of the kitchen)
- Typical wall detail (showing the various building materials recommended)
- Schematic electrical (showing lights, switches and outlets)
- Schematic framing plans (showing floor framing, roof framing and beams)
- Garage or Carport
- Custom Energy Specs. (Read more.)
- Under the Tell Me More about the Review Set, you can see an example set of drawings; however, with Construction Prints, the plans are updated to the current in-house checklist, do not have the Not For Construction, and include the Custom Energy Specs.
- One hour of technical support with the architect by email or phone
- Order Construction Prints through the Pricing tab on any house plan.
- After an order is placed, reply to the email received to advise of the requested information Sun Plans will need to prepare the Custom Energy Specs.
- Allow 5 business days for updating the design to the Sun Plans in-house checklist and preparation of the the Custom Energy Specs. (Shipping then takes another 3-7 days.)
- With PDF's, unlimited copies of the Construction Prints can be printed locally so long as they are used for building one home. PDF's are handy for sending to builders, mortgage companies, appraisers, home energy raters, and others who may be assisting with the planning and construction of the home such as the builder's subcontractors. Some building inspection departments require PDF.
- CAD files of the Construction Drawings (see below for options)
- PDF file of the Construction Prints (see Construction Prints)
- PDF file of Custom Energy Specs
- PDF file of Copyright Release to allow the house to be modified and changed to build one house
- Under the Tell Me More about the Review Set, you can see an example set of drawings; however, with Construction Prints and CAD Files, the plans are updated to the current in-house checklist, do not have the Not For Construction, and include the Custom Energy Specs.
- One hour of technical support. This can include review by the Sun Plans' architect on proposed changes prior to preparing Custom Energy Specs. If the customer sends a list of proposed changes immediately after placing the order, the architect can review them for energy implications and try to address them in the Custom Energy Specs.
- Order CAD files through the Pricing tab on any house plan.
- After an order is placed, reply to the email received to advise of the requested information Sun Plans will need to prepare the Custom Energy Specs.
- Allow 5 business days for to allow for updating the design to the Sun Plans in-house checklist and preparation of the the Custom Energy Specs.
- With the CAD files, many changes can be made to the design.
- With PDF's (part of the CAD file order), unlimited copies of the Construction Prints can be printed locally so long as they are used for building one home. PDF's are handy for sending to builders, mortgage companies, appraisers, home energy raters, and others who may be assisting with the planning and construction of the home such as the builder's subcontractors. Some building inspection departments require PDF.
- If consulting on changes is desired before the order is placed, then Adapt-A-SunPlan Consulting and Review Service is the process to take.
- The design professional may expand the house a couple of feet, change the exterior materials, move a bathroom, or rearrange interior walls and doors.
- The structural engineer may want to add engineering information such as rebar sizes and specific connections suitable for the local codes, soils, winds, snow or seismic activity.
- The builder may find it easier to perform take offs and layouts with this electronic version of construction prints.
- Home Energy Raters or HVAC subs creating duct work layouts can increase the speed and accuracy of their services.
- The CAD Files are designed to be used by an experienced residential design professional
- The standard method of preparing the CAD files is in AutoCAD 2000 DWG file type, with the files split into separate files. Approximately 95% of CAD file orders are prepared in this format. (Sun Plans can export to any version of AutoCAD between version 12 (released in 1992) and 2021, but 2000 is the default as that seems to be the most common one that design professionals can use including those with older versions of the software. It is not uncommon for other design professionals to use very old versions of AutoCAD.
- Can't use any of these CAD File types, but still want the local design professional to copy and redraw the design with changes? The Copyright Release that comes only with CAD Files allow for this. (Please see Copyright.)
- Special requests for all-in-one CAD files, DXF or AEC (DataCAD) files can be honored if advised within one business day of the order.
- Split CAD Files are divided into separate files - cover sheet, foundation, first floor, second floor, elevations, section, kitchen, wall detail, and detached garage as applicable. More than one of the printed sheet may be in each file. For instance, the fp1elect and fp1framing will also be in the fp1 file, but these are recommended to be printed separately as shown in the PDF files that come with the CAD Files.
- More questions? Have the design professional contact us.
The Equinox Homestead is one of the original sun-inspired home designs, but it has been updated. One builder obtained a BuiltGreen Platinum rating. It has been on the National Tour of Solar Homes, on Shaw TV and in a documentary - Kilowatt Ours. The dominant feature of this one story plan is the library loft with a long clerestory above that brings light and additional solar gain into the center of the home. The front of the Equinox Homestead is designed to face south. The south living areas are bright and sunny while the north bedrooms will remain cool.
This home with few hallways has little wasted space. The clerestory into the middle of the house creates a wonderful spatial quality in combination with the vaulted ceilings. The sunroom can become an away room or breakfast area with the smaller bay window then used for plants. The porches on each end allow for both sunrise and sunset viewing year round. The breakfast bay is a unique feature that is echoed in the front foyer.
The stairs to the loft also lead to a balcony space beneath the clerestory, perfect for an extensive library. There is an abundance of storage space upstairs too. The loft storage can become a fourth bedroom, playroom, or office with its French doors leading to the private, covered balcony.
The garage can be detached or attached and located on the side or back. From the back you could enter through the laundry and from the side you would enter into the family entry.
A stick-framed roof allows for insulation to be fit between the rafters to create room for the loft and a semi-conditioned walk-in attic. The first floor south ceilings are vaulted while the north spaces have 8' ceilings. The entire second floor is vaulted. The slab construction is designed to have thermal mass floors for the south side of the house. The concrete mass floors can be covered in stone, tile, brick pavers, or concrete stain for a marble look. The electronically operated windows in the clerestory aid in cooling.
Since these ideas may affect energy performance and structural integrity, they should only be undertaken with professional assistance.
- Close off the sunroom entirely by adding a solid wall or French doors between it and the breakfast nook
- Add a half bath in place of the pantry and relocate the pantry to the kitchen desk area.
Remove the permanent stairs and the loft to create one large room from the sunroom and breakfast nook - Turn the living room end into the front of the house. The side would then face south making this layout ideal for a narrow lot
- The Reverse Option will place the driveway on the right and the living room on the west. The sunroom and its adjacent porch will catch more morning sun
For this plan, the following are included with Construction Prints and CAD Files:
- Schematic Site Plan
- Concrete Slab Foundation Plan
- Floor Plans
- Exterior Elevations
- Building Section
- Kitchen Elevations
- Typical Wall Detail
- Schematic Electrical Plans
- Schematic Framing Plans
- Garage Plans
GNB Builders in British Columbia, Canada made some delightful one-story changes with the use of CAD Files. The builder and owners then shared photos with us. There are more photos on the Builders Website.
"GNB Builders is proud to have achieved BuiltGreen Platinum rating. GNB Builder's clients were very progressive in their homes features and building practices to allow for a very energy efficient and healthy home. This home is prepped to go off the grid.
- Energuide rating is 84 with 160 BuiltGreen Points = Platinum (lower ratings are better in this and some other rating programs)
- Estimated annual cost for heating, hot water, lighting, appliances $1200
According to the GNB, here are some of the key Features of this Platinum BuiltGreen Home in the moderate climate of British Columbia, Canada:
- Passive Solar Design - facing true south
- Milgard Fiberglass windows - highly efficient
- Increased insulation, R22 in walls (instead of code min R20) and R48 in the ceiling (instead of code min R40)
- Thermo insulated mass floor with Rigid insulation - R 7.5
- Geothermal radiant in-floor heating and cooling - Water to water geoExchange Heat Pump
- Electronic air cleaner with Electronically Commutated Motor
- 50 year Metal roof
- Rain water collection system with a 1600 Litre water cistern
- Smart framing practices with engineered products
- Recycled products throughout home
- Reclaimed wood floors and mantle
- No VOC Benjamin Moore paint
- Cement shake board for low maintenance and longevity
- Light fixtures all using LED or CFLs
- Dual low flush toilets
- Prepped for [Active] Solar"
(Recommendations for other climates may vary and Sun Plans may recommend different values for some locations to stay better than today's codes.)
Some of the other photos of the Equinox Homestead designs are from other clients in the eastern U.S. including one home that was on the National Tour of Solar homes. Thanks to everyone for sharing photos!