Debra Rucker Coleman, Architect
HOUSE PLANS
HOUSE PLAN SPECS
Floor 1
1,832 sf
Floor 2
969 sf
Total
2,801 sf
Entry Faces
North
South Glass
9%
Complexity
average
Solstice
PLAN PRICING
$70
Study Plans
11x17 set of drawings to better study the design of the house. 6-9 pages depending upon the size of the home. Excludes construction information and custom energy specs. Choose PAPER or PDF. After the order is placed, send a summary list of your ideas for customization and Sun Plans can tell you if the ideas are practical ones.
Sun Plans uses PayPal for secure payment processing. You may pay with a PayPal account, or any major credit card (no PayPal account required).

Payment will be handled on the secure PayPal web site, then you'll be returned to the Sun Plans site.
 
Plan Name:
Solstice
Plan Format:
PDF Files Paper Both (+$20)
Total Price:
$70
 

$290
Review Sets
11x17 mini set of Construction Prints marked "not for construction". 10-16 pages depending upon the size of the home. Includes Study Plan also. Excludes Custom Energy Specs. Choose PAPER or PDF. After the order is placed, ask for an opinion of construction cost from the architect.
Sun Plans uses PayPal for secure payment processing. You may pay with a PayPal account, or any major credit card (no PayPal account required).

Payment will be handled on the secure PayPal web site, then you'll be returned to the Sun Plans site.
 
Plan Name:
Solstice
Plan Format:
PDF Files Paper Both (+$50)
Total Price:
$290
 

$2,000
Construction Prints
24x36 construction drawings. 10-16 pages depending upon the size of the home. Includes Custom Energy Specs. Choose 6 PAPER sets or PDF.
Sun Plans uses PayPal for secure payment processing. You may pay with a PayPal account, or any major credit card (no PayPal account required).

Payment will be handled on the secure PayPal web site, then you'll be returned to the Sun Plans site.
 
Plan Name:
Solstice
Plan Format:
PDF Files Paper Both (+$200)
Total Price:
$2,000
 

$2,000
CAD Files
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Files for having changes made by a local architect, design professional or engineer. Includes CAD Files, PDF Files, Custom Energy Specs and a Copyright Release. Electronic delivery.
Sun Plans uses PayPal for secure payment processing. You may pay with a PayPal account, or any major credit card (no PayPal account required).

Payment will be handled on the secure PayPal web site, then you'll be returned to the Sun Plans site.
 
Plan Name:
Solstice
Plan Format:
DWG & PDF Files
Total Price:
$2,000
 

$310
Mirror Reverse
Must be ordered with Construction Prints or CAD Files. Reverse the house along the north-south axis (i.e., if the front faced east, it will be reversed to face west). This is a service performed on the drawings. Drawings will be true right-reading, mirror reverse drawings.
Sun Plans uses PayPal for secure payment processing. You may pay with a PayPal account, or any major credit card (no PayPal account required).

Payment will be handled on the secure PayPal web site, then you'll be returned to the Sun Plans site.
 
Plan Name:
Solstice
Plan Format:
PDF Files
Total Price:
$310
 

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Study Plans
See larger, clearer, and more drawings than what are shown on the individual house plan pages.
The price can be credited to future orders of Construction Prints or CAD Files of any Sun Plan even if a completely different house plan is later purchased.(Some exceptions if customer requires Study Plan level of consulting.)
Study Plans can be ordered from the Pricing tab for each house plan.

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.

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Review Sets
Review Sets provide information to help decide whether the design will meet the budget. They are mainly for those who crave technical details, have construction experience or have a builder on board. 
The price can be credited to future orders of Construction Prints or CAD Files of any Sun Plan even if a completely different house plan is later purchased. (Some exceptions if customer requires Review Set level of consulting.)
Review Sets can be ordered from the Pricing tab for each house plan.. 
Review Sets include:
  • 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.)
Review Sets may vary slightly from later orders of Construction Prints and CAD Files since drawings are continuously being updated to meet newer construction and in-house standards,
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Construction Prints
Large Construction Prints with clear, concise information make it easy for builders to follow yet they are flexible enough to adapt locally based on the price and availability of materials and subcontractors, various construction methods and home owner preferences. Together, every builder and home owner will change some aspects of the design before or during construction. If mutually agreeable (and approved by the building inspector and local engineer), these "field changes" can often be made with red notes on the Construction Prints. (For complex changes, please see CAD Files or Adapt-A-SunPlan Services.)
Construction Prints include:
  • 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
Miscellaneous Details
  • 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.
Rick is in the lighting business and reviews construction prints in his work.
They are wonderful!  If you saw most of the drawings and specifications I see, you would wonder how anything got built properly...It is just nice to see a true professional who does the job correctly and takes pride in her work.  In my 34 years of working with Architects you are hands down the best I have had the privilege to work with. - Rick
A client sent a set of Construction Prints (designed for stick construction) to a SIP company to have them converted to SIPs. This is what they told the home owners:
I also wanted to take this opportunity to confirm your selection of Sun Plans Inc.  We receive many sets of drawings each day that are interested in comparing SIPs.  The drawings submitted by Sun Plans Inc. were high quality and very easy for us to work from. - Steve, SIPS of the South
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CAD Files
CAD files are the most flexible type of construction drawings since they can be modified and sent electronically. While the house design is intended to save the home owner energy, the CAD files are designed to save the energy of design professionals by making adaptations proceed faster should it be desired to have someone other than Sun Plans make the changes. The PDF files that are a part of the order allow for printing unlimited Construction Prints even if no changes are made. CAD files are intended to be used by professionals experienced in residential design.
CAD Files Include:
  • 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.
CAD File Details
  •  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.
Examples of how the CAD files are used include: 
  • 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.
Info for the Design Professional
  • 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.

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Mirror Reverse
Similar to the Mirror Reverse feature for each house plan, mirror reversing Construction Prints and CAD Files flips the house plan on the north-south axis. However, the Mirror Reverse custom service also reverses the text and numbers so that they are no longer backwards. The drawings will be "right reading". It takes some time to check for overlapping text and numbers, but it is a worthwhile service considering the errors that can be made by the builders and their subs if they otherwise tried to reverse the home during construction.
In rectangular plans designed with one long wall designed to face south, the south and north sides will still face the same compass direction, but the east and west walls are reversed. In angled plans designed to sit at a 45 degree angle to south, the mirror line is from the northern-most corner to the southern-most corner which is a diagonal line across the house. What was the northwest wall would then become the northeast wall, and what was the southwest wall would then become the southeast wall.
Instances of when reversing might help include when the home owners want the entry on the east rather than the west. Or maybe a bedroom on the west is desired instead of the east-facing bedroom if light is not wanted from the sunrise. There are hundreds of reasons for mirror reversing a house along the north-south axis. Sometimes the architect suggests it during the Review and Consulting phase of any custom services based on the home owners' site or other particulars.
A local design professional can also do the reversing with the CAD Files.
Mirror Reverse is a not available for the lower-priced Study Plans and Review Sets.
The Solstice is a cottage-styled home with a spacious first floor and a master bedroom on the east to capture the morning sun. The great room is vaulted as well as the upstairs rooms which add character along with the dormers. The front of the house is designed to face north leaving the back facing south which maximizes privacy in the abundance of south-facing windows.
First Floor
The front entry can be a large foyer or small music or away room as well as an airlock entry for cold winter days. The master bedroom, great room, large dining area, and spacious kitchen will be full of sunlight year-round, yet shaded from direct solar gain in summer. The woodstove or fireplace hearth is in the center of the home for equal distribution of heat. The second-floor balcony overlooks this area. The laundry is near the kitchen and side entry, yet you don't have to walk through it coming and going. Like our other plans, there are many special nooks tucked in.
Second Floor
The stairs with a large half-round window lead up to the second floor. There are three bedrooms and a bath making the area great for kids, guests, and studies and the walk-in attic storage is easy to access. For the bedrooms, there are many small closets tucked under the eaves instead of one large one.
Garage
The two-car garage with a tractor, workshop, or south greenhouse space connects directly to the home with a small covered stoop that could be enclosed.
Construction Info
The great room and upstairs have vaulted ceilings while the rest of the first floor has - foot ceilings. Six-inch thick walls can easily be wrapped with additional insulation or increased in thickness for the climate. The stick-framed rafter cavity ceiling is designed to be packed full of thick insulation. The thermal mass is designed to be primarily in the tiled concrete slab floors, but with extra thermal  mass in the brick and stone veneer on the first floor. With the south-fa cing dormers, PV solar panels will be better suited for ground-mount systems, or garage roofs if rotating the garage.
Modification Ideas
Since these ideas may affect energy performance and structural integrity, they should only be undertaken with professional assistance.
  • Add a wrap-around front porch across the front for cool summer evenings
  • Add a full daylight basement with bedrooms if your lot slopes to the south, then eliminate the second floor while making a smooth roof on which to add solar panels
Construction Drawings
For this plan, the following are included with Construction Prints and CAD Files:
  • Schematic Site Plan
  • Slab on Grade Foundation Plan
  • Floor Plans
  • Exterior Elevations 
  • Building Section
  • Kitchen Elevations
  • Typical Wall Section
  • Schematic Electrical Plans
  • Schematic Framing Plans
  • Garage Plans
Comments and Photos
Vern Little of Anchorage Builders who built a Solstice home tells us:
 
"The Solstice was built for Bill and Nicole in Efland, NC. It turned out great and they are experiencing a comfortable, self regulating house with very low electric bills, in the $40-60 per month range depending on season. Bill's professional woodworking shop is running off the same meter, too. They have great cross breezes and the passive solar works like a dream.
 
Here are the general energy-related specs on the house:
(Newer codes and Custom Energy Recommendations may be different for today and other locations.)
 
Orientation -- south faces 4 degrees east of true south
Foundation - Raised, insulated slab with extensive tile on first floor
2x6 walls with extensive air sealing,
Wall & Roof Insulation - Icynene (sprayed foam)
South Glass - Cardinal LoE-178 #3 0.63 SHGC glass
E,W, N Windows -- Cardinal Lo-E 170 0.37 SHGC glass
(The window data above is for the glass only. Pella ProLine casements and awnings were used. Cardinal is one of the most popular glass manufacturer's and is use by many window manufacturers.)
HVAC - 2 small heat pumps for up and down, with extra air returns or transfer grilles, and fresh air intake
Wood stove
Solar hot water
Garage & Shop - detached garage, pre-plumbed conduit for future PV (large roof area)
Interior Finishes - hickory flooring in kitchen (dropped slab to allow flush transition) and upstairs, cherry trim and interior doors, custom faux finish paint on some areas, extensive color elsewhere, owner built front door (mahogany) and birch kitchen cabinets,
Exterior Finishes - local craftsman built timber frame front entry with cherry T&G gable inside porch covering, stone chimney
It was a great experience and co-collaboration with the Home Owners on finishing details." We had the house on the local green building tour last May; it was a great example of true passive solar and great architecture." - Vernon Little, Anchorage Building Corp
Second set of photos
The first Solstice was designed for Pam and Paul. Their 2801 s.f. 1.5 story residence in eastern North Carolina was built by contractor, Frank McLawhorn. Ron Sessoms, the interior finish carpenter, was responsible for the design and implementation of the beautiful arts and crafts interior details.
The foundation is a concrete slab on grade with insulation beneath the southern area of the slab that receives direct sun. The 2x6 exterior walls are filled with sprayed insulation, and wrapped with rigid insulation. The vented roof has thick insulation. The glass area of the south windows equals 9% of the floor area requiring the house to have thermal mass: 4-inch concrete slab covered with tile. The auxiliary mechanical system is a heat pump. The thermostat is kept on 68 degrees F in winter and 78 degrees in summer.
The windows are often open from mid-April to mid-June and from mid-September to late October. In the summer, they use ceiling fans. They have a propane instantaneous hot water heater and fireplace that they use only on very cold (below 30 degrees F) evenings or for the atmosphere. In wintertime, the house is comfortable except when the temperatures drop below 20 and there is no sun for three days or more. In spring and fall, it is just right and they love to have the windows open. In summer, the end bedrooms can get too warm on really hot days.
Their favorite spaces are the living room and the adjoining deck. Regarding what they would do differently, they said, "One more big 'junk' closet would have been great…" They also wished they could have afforded to add other energy-efficient technologies such as active solar. They are glad instead that they focused on keeping the house size down as that allowed them to afford some of the finer interior design features.
Pam and Paul like the "open, light-filled spaces, feelings of comfort, and energy independence. We absolutely love our passive solar house!
Working with Debbie was easy, fun and extremely successful for us. It might be helpful to also know that this is the very first house that we have ever had built, and neither one of us knew the first thing about construction before the process started. I do not think I am exaggerating when I say that Debbie made every effort to understand what we were looking for in a design and to help us better understand the important special aspects of passive solar design. We spent a LONG time filling out the questionnaire that she sent — and she paid attention to every detail. There were many changes made in the preliminary designs as we refined our ideas. Debbie was extraordinarily patient with our changes and questions, and the final plans were still produced by her with a minimum of delay. We exchanged LOTS of emails and phone calls, and actually didn't have the pleasure of meeting her face-to-face until we got to give her the tour of 'her' finished house.
We are especially happy to report that we got a delicious tax break for building a passive solar house. On top of that, our utility bills in the last year have been gratifyingly reasonable."