New Online shop

I have set up a online shop. I selling ECOtankas which are a eco designed stainless steel water bottles ideal for tradies and for the tradies dog I have dog accessories by Surf Dog Australia. Once you have completed your build its time for a break you can also book a holiday online, on the Tube web site as well.. www.tubedesignstudio.com

Coastal Design Brief for the Augusta Project.

The Augusta Project in Brief.

The client had two basic concepts for our award winning Building Designer, Rob Skipworth, to work from. Firstly the building had to be energy efficient and as self sufficient as possible in regards water and power usage. The other major design consideration was to take advantage of the extensive views over the ocean to the east and inlet to the North.

Juggling the requirement of expansive glazing with excellent energy efficiency necessitated the use of some smart design and materials. Cantilevered balcony slabs, with no interrupting columns, opened up the view from the living areas.

Environmental credentials of the house are boosted by the installation of 3.3kw solar power system, two large water tanks and an ATU waste treatment system. All cavity brickwork has ‘Aircell’ cavity insulation. Proving that being environmental doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort, the living areas have in-slab heating using water from the hot water system heat pumps, powered by the roof top solar cells.

Check out the photos of out lastest design for Karratha, North West Australia. Our Building Designer had is job cut out for him on this projects brief.

This Display Home incorporated energy efficiency, cyclonic conditions and steel framed construction to create an oasis in the harsh environment on the NW of Australia with a tight budget.

HOW OWNER BUILDERS SHOULD CHOOSE A NATIONALY AWARDED BUILDING DESIGNER

AS A OWNER BUILDERS YOU NEED TO OBTAIN A COMPETITIVE PRICE FROM A BUILDING DEIGNER TO DESIGN YOUR NEXT PROJECT.                 
Do you want a quality nationally awarded building designer for your next development. It is essential to pay proper attention to the design and building of your house or development and to obtain a more competitive price to complete your development.

Professional companies are always a better option if you do not have a great knowledge regarding the design, construction and costing of your new home or property.

Consider The Benefits Of Using An Award Winning Designer:                                 
A good award building designer will have direct access to the best quality registered builders so they will cater to all your requirements and needs. This will assist you to receive a more competitive price to construct your development in the best possible time, giving you compete peace of mind.

Know About The Kind Of Service Related To The Building Designer:          
They will be able to provide you all kinds of service relating to the Design, Specifications, survey, engineer, local and state Government authority rules and regulations. To obtain all the necessary approvals to construct your development from beginning to the end 

You Should Be Properly Informed:

The company should dedicated people to look after all your requirements and satisfy you throughout the designing, planning, building and development of your property.                                                    
Consider The Awards and Experience Of The Company And Management: 

A professional awarded company will be able to give you details of not only their awards but offer examples off their previous work showing the kinds and type of construction they have done.

DESIGNING YOUR FUTURE IS OUR OUR BUSINESS

A finished house in the South West by Eco Designer Homes

South West Eco Friendly Home

This client had two basic concepts for our award winning Building Designer, Rob Skipworth, to work from.

Firstly the building had to be energy efficient and as self sufficient as possible in regards water and power usage. The other major design consideration was to take advantage of the extensive views over the ocean to the east and inlet to the North.

For more info on Eco Designer Homes click here

Owner Buiders Information on how to choose a Building Designer

The Types Of Construction An Awarded Building Designer Can Offer The Owner Builder: 

Before you the Owner Builder employs a professional Building Designer you will need to know if they are able to construct your development, not only the type of construction and finish you require but in the area you wish to build. An award winning designer building will able to offer you access to build in the City, outer Metro, Major City’s and Towns, Regional areas through out the State, South West and the North West regions.
They will be able to offer you various types of construction ranging from; Double brick and tile, Light weight framed construction, Eco friendly construction, Rammed earth, Mud Brick, Cyclonic construction, Solar construction, Pole home construction, Straw Bale construction, Tilt Up construction, Commercial and industrial construction and Remote housing construction.

Contour Feature Survey for Owner Builders

Owner Builders need to start with a Feature Survey just like any other builder.

The building designer that you select to design your new home or building project will conduct a feature contour survey and detail study of you site. With this detail they will be able to provide a study and investigation of your site and will be able to tell you what kind of development will best suit your site. From this report you will be able to judge the efficiency and reliability of the designer to further assist your development proposal.
A feature survey should include the following and can be ordered by yourself
Street and Verge condition ie existing cracks to the Kerbs and foot paths. (just in case of any issues with the council once you have finished your project)
All Levels.
All Easements
All existing structures.
Adjoining structures and levels.
Location of services ie water, gas, telstra, power, sewer, and storm water.
North Point.
Any other features that are on your site.

All of this needs to be done by a Licenced Surveyor.
And once this is completed you can start your design process of a Eco Friendly Design.

OWNER BUILDERS AND BUILDING DESIGNERS WORKING TOGETHER

WHY USE A BUILDING DESIGNER FOR MY DEVELOPMENT PLANS - QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

What are The Costs and My Responsibilities in Having a Custom Designed Home?

Horizon Design offers you a FREE consultation, in their office, to discuss with you all the ideas you have and type of design you require. Local authority requirements, site covenants, site features and your budget will all be discussed at this meeting. All fees that would be applicable to your development will be discussed. You will also be made aware of your responsibilities, prior to any formal commitment. When you have informed the designer to all your requirements, the designer will be able to give you an approximate cost to construct and finish your development. This will help with your budgeting.

When I Commit to The Designer, What will I Receive For My Money?    

The fees you pay when you commit to have your design done will include the briefing, design work, sketch plans and elevations. It may also include some of the following services;

                        1. Feature survey by a licensed surveyor.

                        2. Planning application drawings.

                        3. Working drawings and specifications.

                        4. Structural engineers design and documentation.

                        5. Energy efficiency assessment.

Horizon Design and our associated Building Broker, will obtain several written quotes from reputable registered builders to construct your development.

Will I Own The Copyright for the Drawings?

When the design is finalised and the working drawings have been completed to your satisfaction, you will be the sole owner of all the plans and specifications for a one off house on your site. You will be able to take your plans and have them priced by any builder you wish. However Horizon Design, through their associated Building Broker will obtain up to three written quotes for you to compare with any quote you may obtain. This will help you receive a competitive quote to build and complete your development within your budget.

Owner Builders and Timber Framed Houses helping the Environment

Timber Framed Construction helping Reduce Our Carbon Footprint

Most timber frames are made from plantation timber, an endlessly renewable resource. In 2004, Australia’s production forests and tree plantations are estimated to have absorbed around 44 million tonnes of CO² from the atmosphere. This is the equivalent to taking nearly 9 million cars off the road in one year. When considering the embodied energy of building products, across their entire life cycle, framed construction comes out on top. Both steel and timber structures can also be recycled, further extending the life of the material and helping to sustain the environment for our future. Coupled with rainwater tanks, grey water recycling and solar power systems, framed construction delivers a total environmentally friendly home.

If you want an energy efficient home that saves you money, saves the environment, is comfortable to live in and fits your modern lifestyle then you can’t go past timber framed construction.

Timber and Steel Framed Homes strength for Owner Builders.

Steel and Treated Timber are termite proof so white ant and other insects can’t attack the structure of your home. Frame is also strong and can stand up to Australia’s extreme weather, in fact it’s considered to be the best product to withstand an earthquake. In northern Australia most of the homes built in cyclone area are framed homes due to better energy efficiency rating and internal comfort of living in the home.

Owner Builders and Framed Housing Part 2

The lightweight, flexible nature of framed construction allows for innovative spaces inside and enhanced street appeal for your home. Living in a brick box just like the one next door is no longer acceptable for most Australians. With an array of finishes to choose from such as flush rendering, metal, weatherboard or stone cladding, your house can be tailored to suit your individual taste and the unique environment you live in. Without the restrictions of dull brickwork, your house can be become a true reflection of you, with colours and spaces designed to fit you.

All components within a framed home are factory-engineered under strict quality control measures, giving you a straighter, better finished home ideal for the Owner Builder.

Equivalent or better acoustics can be achieved with the use of special sound insulation to internal walls with the additional bonus of allowing you to thermally insulate each room individually. After all there is no point warming up the laundry in winter when you are not using it.

Toxic Truth about BPA in Plastic Baby Bottles bad for our childrens health, So what else is in our homes.

Check this out this story from 60 Minutes The Toxic Trurth, its about BPA plastics that are still used for baby products. Click for story link here. I know of this company Naturesafe Distributors who sell BPA FREE glass bottles and stainless drink bottles, check out their web site for more info. I will find out some info on the plastics that are used in our homes soon.

7 Key Points of the BE ON TOP Strategies for Owner Builders

To succeed Owner Builders need to implement and adhere to the BE ON TOP strategies. These are the 7 key points in your thought process for the design and construction of your dream home. Please read about us for more information.

Framed Housing for Owner Builders - Built for Today and the Environment

Global warming and energy efficiency seem to be on everybody’s minds lately but many people wonder with such a big problem, what can I do?
While photovoltaic power systems, rainwater tanks and grey water recycling are fantastic investments, but the most influential decisions you make will be with the design of the building and the materials you use.

Eco Friendly framed construction has emerged as a leader in the quest for economical, energy efficient homes. Long considered the poorer cousin to double brick construction, modern science and more critical investigations into construction types have vindicated framed construction.

Many comparative studies between double brick and framed homes, both overseas and throughout Australia, have proven that there is little difference between temperatures inside a house whatever the temperature outside. Importantly, framed homes are generally cooler on summer nights when you are trying to get to sleep.

It’s not only in energy efficiency that framed construction can have an advantage over the old way of building. With the trend towards smaller lots and bigger houses, space is at a premium. Due to framed walls not having a cavity and an extra wall like double brick does, you can gain over 300mm of extra internal width in you house without making the building bigger.

More to come....

4 IMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER FOR RESIDENTIAL COASTAL DESIGN IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

1 - SOLAR ORIENTATION

While protection of glazing from our harsh summer sun an important consideration in passive solar design, often the capturing of the warm northern winter sun is overlooked. Ideally most of the glazing and living areas will be located facing north, with some overhanging sun protection for summer while allowing the winter sun to penetrate into the house. Glazing facing east and west should be minimised and protected from those hot summer afternoons. To Read More