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 Midnight Sun evolved from the earlier Harvest Moon Cottage whose very small footprint allows for economical construction and lower environmental impact. It is ideal for small lots. With three levels including the sunny daylight basement, there is a possible 2742 square feet of living area. The north front of the home with its bay stairwell, window boxes, and small porch add just enough charm to keep this otherwise simple-shaped house from looking plain. Two types of siding and curved knee braces add a touch of Craftsman detailing.
Both family and guests use the same airlock foyer. The stained-glass door and windows along with built-in shelves add character to this practical entry to the home. The great room features a hearth. The high glass-front cabinets above the breakfast bar between the dining area and kitchen allow for a slight visual separation without blocking your view of the south window box. The west sunroom porch is designed to have the windows closed in winter, yet open in summer to become a screened porch. West trees keep out the hot afternoon summer sun yet do not block the winter solar gain.
The delightful staircase leads up to the second floor where three sunny bedrooms and two charming baths. The lower end gables above the master bedroom bed space and other closets save on house volume while adding character. Extra eave storage is always welcome.
From the central stairs you access the lower level which will not be a dark space if your land slopes to the south. With the door that isolates it from upstairs, noise from a TV or stereo is minimized. The laundry is beneath the laundry chute from the upper floors. The downstairs bedroom is very private and the south walk-out door would make a nice in-laws apartment.
The two-vehicle garage with optional greenhouse should be located to the northwest. A covered walkway could connect to the side of the front porch.
The first floor and basement have 8' ceilings, but since there is plenty of south glass, the rooms will not feel small. The second floor ceilings are sloped with no attic space. High shelves and exposed rafter ties add character. The foundation is ICF, upper floors are 6" studs, and rafter sizes vary with insulation requirements. Custom Energy Recommendations that come with Blueprints suggest changes to energy-related items such as how much rigid insulation to use in addition to the stud wall and the type of glass to use in your climate. The thermal mass is in the basement floor, stone-covered wood stove hearth, and tile floors over gypsum cement in the upper levels.
Since these may affect energy performance and structural integrity, they should only be undertaken with professional assistance.
- Use structural insulated panels for the walls and roof
- For a larger great room, remove the porch and foyer walls
For this plan, the following are included with Construction Prints and CAD Files:
- Schematic Site Plan
- Daylight Basement Foundation Plan
- Floor Plans
- Exterior Elevations
- Building Section
- Kitchen Elevations
- Typical Wall Detail
- Schematic Electrical Plans
- Schematic Framing Plans
- Garage Plans
The first photos are ones Sun Plans took of the first built Midnight Sun built by builder Brian Knight. He sent the nighttime photos and provided the following comments:
"I have built the house and it is performing better than expected. The home has been featured on two solar home tours of WNC (Western North Carolina) and will continue to be as long as I own it. Myself and others feel it is the best design on the tour".
Here Brian has posted more photos on Houzz of this Midnight Sun that he built.
Thank you to Jane for the photos of her Midnight Sun home (also reversed) with the wall between the porch and living area removed in order to take advantage of the gorgeous views to the mountains! Here are a few comments:
"We haven't moved in yet, but I have camped out a few nights and the house has such a nice happy feel to it. My builder was so impressed with how well planned everything in the house was. He also initially thought that we had had this house designed exclusively for ourselves rather than customizing a plan because this house plan really fits the site... the garden level (daylight basement level) look(s) from bedroom into family room with view of Jotul woodstove. The backup heat for house consists of two Jotul woodstoves as well as radiant electric cove heaters (Comfort Cove system)."
