We are also building in Christchurch :) So also had to look at these kind of requirements for sun, but we had a much smaller section to work with (800sqm). If cost is OK ideally a 2 story would get light into more of the rooms. You also saod the street frontage is 35m but the plans say currently the width of the house is only 15m, so you could run more of the house along the frontage to get it aligned with North. Its a big section are you setting it very far back from the street? Or are you worried about privacy? Is there a view Northwards, otherwise if you can set back from the street and add hedging or plantings to increase privacy I would try and align as much of the living space to get the North and west sun. Depending on what your roof is like you could also add a clerestory to get light towards the back - we are using skylights as well for our back hall and bathrooms to make sure they get as much natural light as possible.

Hi Lexie

Is it possible to flip the house around sideways on the section so that your living, kitchen etc gets a bit of morning and afternoon sun? Seems such a waste that the bedroom, kitchen and dining are south facing bbbrrrr. Ideally you want those areas more to the west. Flipping it means you would drive up past the lounge and front door (all facing East) and turn right into garage.

Means the garage wall, bathrooms, laundry, WIR and ensuite, as well as 3rd bedroom, face south.

Looking at your plan, One side of the house is 15m in total and the other is about 16ish. With a 35m frontage, still plenty of room for a drive up the side. $$$ wise, you'd be spending more on the concrete drive, but could you metal it till you could afford to concrete it?

A longer concrete drive will be better than having the house facing the wrong way from the get go.

Could you do this. Sorry I drew this very quickly, but you know your own plan. All I did was shift the side of your house over which means you need to move the master WW and Ens. I don't know the size of your section but by pushing the house back you will create a front garden that can be fenced. Your lounge will have morning sun, daytime sun on your lounge patio and evening sun on your dining patio.

@Kim Mackintosh - It does make sense. My only concern is that the living areas will have no connection to the back garden. We are restricted by the covenants as to how much fencing we can have on the street front and we might end up with not so private entertaining space. It is trickier than I thought to work with a South facing section, albeit a big one...

Oh No, This plan won't work then. It would have been the fencing that would have created your private entertaining at the front. We did live in a house much the same as this plan and position. The only problem was, the lounge (same as yours but separate room. Your kitch, dining was our Kich, din and family) Was like a hot box in summer and we didn't use it. However, you have flow in this area with it being open.