Architectural Services
Many options are described below for those who want more than just a house plan from Sun Plans. However, many customers prefer to work with adaptations on a design with their own local design professional and starting with the Sun Plans CAD Files.
Sun Plans is passionate about how the sun can warm and brighten homes! Since 2002, hundreds of homeowners in the United States have benefited from Sun Plans' internet-based design, whether it be through creating a new design from a wish list, adapting an existing design, or simply choosing a pre-designed plan to build or be modified by another design professional. Building a home is one of the most expensive investments that a family might make. Why not trust a professional with over 20 years of experience to help?
"Thanks again for your help, attentiveness, and prompt communication. You really make email as easy-going and good as it can be!! (And that's saying a lot!)" - Shauna
Review and Consulting by the Architect
Assistance with creating or adapting a house design starts with consulting services, but consulting services can also help with selecting a house design. Read about each one below, or try out the Pre-Design Getting to Know Your Land program with Christina. There is no commitment to go beyond this initial consulting stage. For adaptations, Sun Plans can consult on proposed changes even if a local design professional makes the changes.
- As a rule, consulting follows this process, but it varies for each customer:
- The customer contacts Sun Plans for the applicable Planning Package for each type of service.
- The Planning Package from Sun Plans helps gather the extensive information needed to do a review.
- Adapt-A-SunPlan Planning Package (Approximately 10 pages. Complimentary.)
- Create-A-SunPlan Planning Package (Approximately 20 pages. Complimentary with any purchase. Most purchase The Sun-Inspired House E-book.) - Payment by the customer for the Review and Consulting.
- Architectural review of information submitted. (see categories below)
- Detailed responses can be provided to specific energy-related concerns.
- Drawing markups and concept diagrams are often part of the process
- Services are tailored to the customer, climate, latitude, land, and budget as well as any other unique requests.
- The process is different for every homeowner. The architect listens carefully to customers' ideas and concerns. She becomes one part friend as she tries to understand the customers' house needs, one part designer as she keeps the floor plan flow and exterior design in mind, and one part professional as she advises on energy and structural concerns.
- Review is done by the architect in the following typical categories:
(Not all categories are applicable to every project. Detailed concerns are often more appropriately addressed in the design or the construction drawings stage.)
- House siting
- Floor plan function
- Energy-related concerns
- Construction materials
- Structural issues
- Exterior design
- Opinion of probable construction cost
- Study Plans of any existing designs that could meet the customer's needs without extensive changes are provided for no additional charge.
- Each consulting block includes four hours of the architect's time.
- Sometimes additional hours of consulting are needed for extensive reviews, larger homes or extra detailed clients.
- Concept diagrams can be included as part of the Create-A-SunPlans process for a minimum of one extra block of consulting
Customer-Centered Services
The success of the house design process is based on the customer's commitment. The customer typically:
- Communicate confidently their likes and dislikes in an existing house plan or new ideas
- Speak openly with their spouses, partners, and other family members regarding priorities
- Remain flexible and open-minded with options presented
- Rise to the challenge of assisting with research and homework tasks
- Trust professionals to assist them in many aspects of their life
Sun Plans looks forward to interacting with you!
Pay for Consulting
One block of consulting is $595 and includes four hours of the architect's time. (Large or complex homes often require more than one block of initial consulting.) See details of adapt and create below for typical services, but they are tailored to each customer. (Christina has her own payment system for the Getting to Know Your Land Program)
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 website, then you'll be returned to the Sun Plans site.
Product:
Sun Plans Consulting
Price:
$595
Planning for a Sun-Inspired Home
Are you ready to build a sustainable, resilient home and already have your land? Let Christina help before you create, adapt, or select a house design!
Most first-time landowners underestimate the challenges—like legalities and permitting, choosing natural materials that suit your climate, or just trying to weave it all into a cohesive plan. Without a structure, the vision that felt so alive in your heart can get lost in the noise.
Resilient By Design helps you realize that vision.
It’s a guided consulting program for people who want to build a home—and a lifestyle—rooted in efficiency and connection to the land. In the program, you’ll get:
- A strategic, step-by-step framework tailored to your land, climate, and budget.
- Practical education on soil, water, energy, passive design, natural materials, and more.
- Easy-to-navigate collections of resources, directories, and professional connections.
- Ongoing expert support, so you feel confident you’re making the right decisions at every turn (without losing time & money)
Resilient by Design works beautifully alongside Sun Plans because it helps homeowners show up prepared and informed—which makes the planning process smoother and more fun for everyone!
Find out if you’re a good fit for the program: Visit the Resilient By Design page to learn more!
I think you will enjoy Christina, who shares the same Sun Plans values!
Create-A-SunPlan
With over 25 years of designing low-energy, high-performance, passive solar homes, architect Debra Rucker Coleman and her small, service-oriented company would welcome the opportunity to assist you with the design of a sun-inspired home.
For a fraction of the fee paid to a realtor, you can have a sunny, low-energy, comfortable home created just for you. Creating a new home design is often the best way to obtain the lowest construction cost with a right-sized design with only the spaces your family needs.
Read more about the Create-A-SunPlan process.
Adapt-A-SunPlan
Because she knows each design so well, the Sun Plans' architect can see ways to adapt a design for the homeowners' lifestyle, site, budget, climate, and energy priorities. Typically this information is then passed on to the local design professional to make the changes with the CAD Files although Sun Plans accepts a limited number of adaptations also.
If the selection has been narrowed down to one Sun Plans design, then request the Adapt-A-SunPlan Planning Package. Contact Us with the house plan name and approximate date of when the consulting and review service is needed. After the review is completed, Sun Plans can optionally provide an estimate for making the changes if scheduling allows or the information can be passed onto the local design professional. Read more about the Adapt-A-SunPlan process.
Select-A-SunPlan
The Select-A-SunPlans process begins the same way as creating a design (see above) but with the intent of selecting a design. The architect knows the designs intimately.
Plans recommended may be ones overlooked or ones not on the website. Sometimes the architect recommends a particular design to be adapted. Other times creating a new design is recommended by the architect as the way to obtain a home with the lowest construction cost.
The planning package is complimentary after making a purchase from Sun Plans. Most choose The Sun-Inspired House E-book so that they can also browse the 150+ house plans.
Contact Us to request the Create-A-SunPlans Planning Package but be sure to state that the intention is to help with selecting a house plan.
Custom Energy Specs
Preparing customized energy-related specifications is a service that is part of Construction Prints, CAD Files, and any new or adapted designs by Sun Plans. At the current time, there is no extra charge for this service. The Custom Energy Specs are specific to the location in which the home will be constructed. They also vary based on the construction details of each house.
Read more about the Custom Energy Specs.
Custom Consulting
Need services other than those listed above? Contact Us to see if we can help. Examples include site selection assistance to help with the purchase of land prior to designing a home. The latter can be helpful especially if the lot is small and you need to know what size of home can fit on the lot. Fees start at one block of consulting, but typically two or more blocks of consulting may be needed.
3D Modeling
Although clients have repeatedly told us over the years how well they can visualize their home with the 2D images from Sun Plans, some clients prefer 3D. SunPlans also offers 3D services such as modeling and visualization of the design both inside and out. This is a different way to look at your design of choice whether it be an in-depth study of an existing design, ideas for adapting a design, or creating a new one. With the photo real images, you can get a sense of what it may feel like to be in the space, with or without furniture, to see how your home is making the best use of the sun. 3D services can include: exterior renders, interior (furnished) renders, and a model walkthrough file for you to explore on your own. This is an option with all of the various services listed below.
