Study Plans include:
- A mini set of design-oriented drawings set up for 11"x17".
- A choice between a Paper version sent by US Priority Mail or the PDF version sent via email.
- Unlimited printing with PDF's for sharing with family members.
- 6 to 9 pages of drawings depending upon the complexity of the home.
- Click here to see an example set for a 1.5 story home with daylight basement.
- Schematic site plan, floor plans (with room sizes and furniture), daylight basements if applicable, exterior elevations, a schematic section of the house to help visualize the interior, kitchen elevations and garage plans.
- A mini set of construction drawings set up for 11"x17"
- Choice of PAPER sent by US Priority Mail or PDF version sent via email. (Select PDF to print extra copies or share electronically with other building professionals.)
- 10 to 16 pages of drawings depending upon the complexity of the home.(See each house plan description for the drawings that come with each design.)
- Dimensions and construction notes.
- Click here to see an example Review Set of a 1.5 story home with daylight basement.
- A copy of the Study Plan.
- An "Opinion of Probable Construction Cost" from Sun Plans if requested. Sun Plans evaluates the design and compares it to similar home designs for which other clients have provided construction costs. A range of construction cost is provided. (This is based on national information. Sun Plans does not have statistics by state, region or country.)
- Six sets of Construction Prints on 24"x36" paper shipped via UPS ground or PDF computer files sent by email
- 10 to 16 pages of drawings depending upon the size and complexity of the home. (See individual house plan descriptions for specific drawings for each design.)
- Schematic site plan (cover sheet showing how to orient the house for passive solar gain)
- Foundation Plan (either slab-on-grade, crawlspace, below grade or daylight basement)
- First and second floor plans (many construction notes, window sizes, etc.)
- Exterior elevations (all four sides shown in hatched detail)
- Schematic Building section (cut-away through the home showing basic configuration)
- Kitchen elevations (all sides of the kitchen)
- Typical wall detail (showing the various building materials recommended)
- Schematic electrical (showing lights, switches and outlets)
- Schematic framing plans (showing floor framing, roof framing and beams)
- Garage or Carport
- Custom Energy Specs. (Read more.)
- Under the Tell Me More about the Review Set, you can see an example set of drawings; however, with Construction Prints, the plans are updated to the current in-house checklist, do not have the Not For Construction, and include the Custom Energy Specs.
- One hour of technical support with the architect by email or phone
- Order Construction Prints through the Pricing tab on any house plan.
- After an order is placed, reply to the email received to advise of the requested information Sun Plans will need to prepare the Custom Energy Specs.
- Allow 5 business days for updating the design to the Sun Plans in-house checklist and preparation of the the Custom Energy Specs. (Shipping then takes another 3-7 days.)
- With PDF's, unlimited copies of the Construction Prints can be printed locally so long as they are used for building one home. PDF's are handy for sending to builders, mortgage companies, appraisers, home energy raters, and others who may be assisting with the planning and construction of the home such as the builder's subcontractors. Some building inspection departments require PDF.
- CAD files of the Construction Drawings (see below for options)
- PDF file of the Construction Prints (see Construction Prints)
- PDF file of Custom Energy Specs
- PDF file of Copyright Release to allow the house to be modified and changed to build one house
- Under the Tell Me More about the Review Set, you can see an example set of drawings; however, with Construction Prints and CAD Files, the plans are updated to the current in-house checklist, do not have the Not For Construction, and include the Custom Energy Specs.
- One hour of technical support. This can include review by the Sun Plans' architect on proposed changes prior to preparing Custom Energy Specs. If the customer sends a list of proposed changes immediately after placing the order, the architect can review them for energy implications and try to address them in the Custom Energy Specs.
- Order CAD files through the Pricing tab on any house plan.
- After an order is placed, reply to the email received to advise of the requested information Sun Plans will need to prepare the Custom Energy Specs.
- Allow 5 business days for to allow for updating the design to the Sun Plans in-house checklist and preparation of the the Custom Energy Specs.
- With the CAD files, many changes can be made to the design.
- With PDF's (part of the CAD file order), unlimited copies of the Construction Prints can be printed locally so long as they are used for building one home. PDF's are handy for sending to builders, mortgage companies, appraisers, home energy raters, and others who may be assisting with the planning and construction of the home such as the builder's subcontractors. Some building inspection departments require PDF.
- If consulting on changes is desired before the order is placed, then Adapt-A-SunPlan Consulting and Review Service is the process to take.
- The design professional may expand the house a couple of feet, change the exterior materials, move a bathroom, or rearrange interior walls and doors.
- The structural engineer may want to add engineering information such as rebar sizes and specific connections suitable for the local codes, soils, winds, snow or seismic activity.
- The builder may find it easier to perform take offs and layouts with this electronic version of construction prints.
- Home Energy Raters or HVAC subs creating duct work layouts can increase the speed and accuracy of their services.
- The CAD Files are designed to be used by an experienced residential design professional
- The standard method of preparing the CAD files is in AutoCAD 2000 DWG file type, with the files split into separate files. Approximately 95% of CAD file orders are prepared in this format. (Sun Plans can export to any version of AutoCAD between version 12 (released in 1992) and 2021, but 2000 is the default as that seems to be the most common one that design professionals can use including those with older versions of the software. It is not uncommon for other design professionals to use very old versions of AutoCAD.
- Can't use any of these CAD File types, but still want the local design professional to copy and redraw the design with changes? The Copyright Release that comes only with CAD Files allow for this. (Please see Copyright.)
- Special requests for all-in-one CAD files, DXF or AEC (DataCAD) files can be honored if advised within one business day of the order.
- Split CAD Files are divided into separate files - cover sheet, foundation, first floor, second floor, elevations, section, kitchen, wall detail, and detached garage as applicable. More than one of the printed sheet may be in each file. For instance, the fp1elect and fp1framing will also be in the fp1 file, but these are recommended to be printed separately as shown in the PDF files that come with the CAD Files.
- More questions? Have the design professional contact us.
The Atrium home features a central atrium that brings sunlight down into the center of the home. With the front designed to face northwest, this plan will fit lots oriented at an angle to the sun. The angled orientation also allows for more rooms on the south to receive sunlight although the passive solar performance is sacrificed. It is also not a plan for climates with hot summers as the southwest side could overheat. Homes with natural cooling instead of air conditioning will be better able to vent the hot air.
The kitchen is open to the dining as well as the central atrium and hearth. The dining area opens onto a screened porch that leads to a deck that wraps the south side of the home. With the front bedroom by the entry, it would serve equally well as a study or nursery being not too far from the master suite. The linen closet also opens to the laundry for convenient placement of dirty clothes and clean towels.
The quaint loft above with low sloped ceilings has a study area that overlooks the hearth below and the atrium above. The front dormer is a cozy nook for meditating or reading. The quaint bedroom and bath make this loft a child's dream.
This plan comes with a full basement. If your land slopes to the south, you could modify it to allow for sunny bedrooms. The southeast is best since it is not shaded by the deck. Garage The attached garage is separated from the house by an area with a mudroom entry and mail nook or pet area. Nearby is a half bath conveniently located near the kitchen and dining. If your lot was narrow, the garage doors could be moved to the front.
The attached garage houses two vehicles. As with most Sun Plans' designs, the garage can be easily detached or removed without affecting the design. Detaching the garage can allow for greater flexibility in placing the garage on the site and frees up more wall of the house in which to place windows.
The great room, dining, part of the kitchen, and corner sunroom have vaulted ceilings and are very open. The masonry mass walls in the sunroom help absorb heat. The other south floors can be covered with thin mass since this is of our house plans with lower solar gain.
Since these ideas may affect energy performance and structural integrity, they should only be undertaken with professional assistance.
- Flip the laundry and half bath to put the laundry near the kitchen and mudroom. The half bath could then have a tub or shower added to function as a full bath for the front bedroom.
- Remove the second floor so that all first floor rooms can be vaulted.
For this plan, the following drawings are included with Construction Prints and CAD Files:
- Cover Sheet/Site Plan
- Basement Plan
- First Floor Plan including Attached garage
- Second Floor Plan
- Exterior Elevations
- Building Section
- Kitchen Elevations
- Schematic Electrical Plans
- Schematic Framing Plans
Thanks to Joe and Paula, the original home owners of the Atrium, for the comments on their home, which was built in a cold climate. They reversed the Atrium with the screened porch on the southeast, added Hydronic radiant floor heating, and made a full-finished basement.
"You've asked about the comfort level of the house. I didn't feel I could answer knowledgeably until after I lived in my glass house through the winter. Well, it was 12 degrees last night. The comfort of the house is astonishing.
"With the large amount of thermal mass and the radiant heat, any temperature change is so gradual that it is subsequently unnoticeable. In our former home, you were warm when the furnace was running and cold after it shut off. In our new home we're always warm and never even aware of which parts of the heating system are running... The best part is, instead of always wanting to curling up under a blanket you walk around barefoot.
"We also enjoy living in a house "warmed and brightened by the sun. The benefits include sitting in the sun enjoying a good book, seeing a beautiful sunrise as you're getting ready for work, cooking with fresh herbs gathered from the sunroom and saving money by heating with the sun. And while the sun doesn't shine everyday in Ohio, there is a good deal to be said for being able to see outdoors even when you don't want to be outdoors. Even on a grey winter day, the house is an open, comfortable space with plenty of natural light.
"While we moved in on July 25th, the house was not completed until August 16th... Once we moved in, we could open up the house at night -- three of the atrium windows are operational and have electric motors installed -- and then close the house back up before the heat of the day or before leaving for work. So far this... home has not only been more comfortable to live in, it has also been less expensive to operate than our previous home of 1,700 sq. feet."
They also wrote:
"We continue to be delighted with the way it flows and feels. The downstairs is spacious and graceful, light and airy. The upstairs is funky and cozy - we rearranged things a bit in the bathroom and bedroom up there, finding that the bathroom was too tight as planned.
"In February, we found the house comfortable, with nice direct sunlight. We oriented the house exactly as outlined in your plans. The house stays wonderfully cool in the summer - that's been a really pleasant surprise. We open the Atrium windows at night, and in the morning the whole house is crisp, despite some very muggy and hot days and nights. All in all, climatically it has been great. And, aesthetically, it's beautiful! We got lots of comments about how unique it is, and I'm always amused when people try to come up with what "type" of house it is. I use that moment to wax on about the passive solar design."
