How to design your own home

Site analysis

The Site Analysis diagram displays all the useful information gained during the site data collection phase and is best presented and used as a designing tool in a plan format. Use photographs taken of the site from various angles including distant shots if the site is in a prominent location. A study of the wider context of the locality such as built-up areas and open spaces will be essential and can be added onto the site plan. Where do the summer and winter breezes come from? Think how this may influence the design of your building. Are there views? If so, what is their direction? Use arrows from the site to the views. The building will need to provide a visual connection from living spaces and the main bedroom to this view.

Record personal observations at the site. Where is the shading from trees or other buildings falling? How could this benefit or negatively affect the design. Talk to neighbours about sun, wind and temperatures at different times of the year. Think about how you can use these winds to cool your house in summer and how you may need to protect outside living spaces in winter. Note on your plan the magnetic north point as well as true north (or solar north) which is approximately 13% East of North in most of Australia (you will need a compass). Finding true north on your property will allow you to design living spaces facing north and the quality of living to this orientation is unbelievably better than any other. It will provide warm living spaces in winter and cool bright living ares in summer, as long as you have adequate window shading and ample roof and wall insulation.

You need to spend a lot of time on your site, and your site visits should be longer rather than shorter if you want to properly see how your site works and how it is affected by various factors. Note all these factors down as they will influence the design of your home. Some people even go to the lengths of actually camping on their property before they start designing.