I like your changes. The WC needs a basin. The ensuite basins look to close to side walls for elbow room. Do you want swing doors into theatre. They use space. If you do want swing doors maybe bring the to the edge of hall. I would also add a couple of doors along the hall to close off noise. And potentially zone heating

Agree with above. Also consider a mock up of furniture in each room. I’ve seen some beautiful homes built but the open plan space doesn’t work for the family. Plus in the ensuite where is the mirror/s going? In the main bathroom is there enough room to have bench space with the two basins? Either delete one basin or make sure you use small ones.

I question the layout, Melbourne Hot/Cold family plus plus on East, Alfresco South East, 2 x bedrooms south and North. What about winter sun? Is there a view from the eastern side?

unable to read all the dimensions so my suggestions are based on approximate sizes and include moving laundry to western side with easy access to more private drying area, rearranging minor bedrooms to avoid western sun and include more storage, rearranging kitchen to avoid views of the washing up from the front door, a more convenient location for mudroom and an optional guest room or study with extra bathroom

Hi @oklouise,

You’re absolutely brilliant, thank you for the wonderfully thought-out suggestions and the way you have optimised the space. Below is the original draft for reference and I hope the dimensions are clearer now.

The total built up area is 307 sq m (33.11sq), and we are restricted to working within this footprint. We’re truly grateful for your insights and would love it if you could review this version at your convenience and share any additional thoughts.

Thanks again for your time and generosity, it means a lot.

would be happy to see a clearer version of your plans (post in sections might make it easier to read dimensions) or at least share the overall length and width but could you also include distance from rear of house to rear boundary and what is the required set back from house to all boundaries and please describe the location...is the block on a corner, are there any good or bad views etc and what's on your must have wish list?? eg how many bedrooms are essential but do you really need a lounge plus media plus big family room, how would you use all those rooms and do you need/want a study and/or guest room and extra bath and who will live in the house?

Hi @oklouise,

Thanks again for your thoughtful input. When I upload a JPEG or PNG here, the site compresses the image and reduces clarity. It doesn’t allow PDF uploads, so I’m sharing the Google Drive link instead. Please check if the image is clearer now.

Link : Draft Plan

To clarify the context:

• This is a corner block, front facing north, with the east side also opening to a road

• West side has an existing double storey (G+1) house, so we’re keen on placing living and dining zones on the east to maximise sunlight, as that side remains unobstructed

• Bedrooms: 4

• Lounge will be partially used as a prayer room, and the media room is intended for a WFH office setup. So the family room will be the primary entertainment space.

• As per guidelines, the garage must be placed at the north west corner of the block

• Occupants: We’re a couple, planning to start a family soon

Appreciate your continued feedback.

Hi @oklouise,

These are the changes we are currently considering based on the original draft shared above. Would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions before we proceed further.

Link -

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yFQUF2FaA5TDa-eRCREQNQT5aMGlvAE0/view?usp=sharing

I’ve relaid out the ensuite so you can have mirrored storage above vanity and a walk in shower

You can screen shot images and post them in sections. That sometimes works better for dimensions etc.

And I would put a swing door that swings back towards toilet

@bigreader I tried my best to upload a high resolution image of the draft, but it looks like the website is compressing the images too much and the clarity is lost. Here’s a Google Drive link with the original high res version:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yFQUF2FaA5TDa-eRCREQNQT5aMGlvAE0/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NjOuqFx4mniWu4oAlBcuGhkfl4JVlPpd/view?usp=sharing

Plan:

cc: @oklouise

Thx for trying but I can’t zoom on the images enough for measurements and I’m not going to use a link. Others may have more luck.

These might help

@siriuskey

Thanks a lot, this looks much clearer than what I could upload. Just curious,

how did you manage to get this clarity in the image?

"north-facing block (the front of the house faces north)"

"The aim is to make the most of natural light"

Did you choose the block for that reason as it was promoted as a desirable 'north-facing' block?

A corner block with north to the long side facing the street instead of the limited front is what maximises the light. Your plan only gets the benefits of it to the living room and the garage. On the plus side, having neighbours to the west gives some protection from the unwanted afternoon sun in summer.

It's useful to have a washbasin in the wc, if you can adjust the neighbouring WIR to allow for adding that. I noticed too that the neighbouring hallway in one version looks unnecessarily large but I'm not sure what's happening with the different versions.

Simple, click on /open your posted plan, take a screen shot, paste into Paint crop what you want to see, enlarge from 100% to 200% then type what you see for each individual dimensions. And agree with macyjean, have you considered a different roof so you could have raked ceilings with highlight windows. Any chance of a google earth shot of your block and the neighbours 2 story building.

@siriuskey,

Thank you. Raked ceilings would be lovely, but unfortunately they’re not within our budget, so we’re not planning to go with that option.

This is the Google Earth Shot.

extra information helps understand your plans better but i suggest that the smaller bedrooms need to be bigger and big rooms can be smaller in order to share available space for a more comfortable family home....this new variation is 307sqm including the generous alfresco

Thanks a lot @oklouise. You are a legend!

Thank you @oklouise,

You’re absolutely brilliant