Selecting a Plan

We have over 50 sun-inspired, passive solar house plans to choose from, so it's not always easy to find the one that's right for you! In fact, many people find it difficult to select a plan as you often must explore the same design issues that go into a custom designed house. If you find you are having trouble selecting a plan on your own, we recommend that you hire early in the process a local design professional such as an architect, designer, engineer, or builder that can act as a consultant to help you sort through the many variables in plan selection and adaptations. They may also be the same design professional that can modify our CAD files or erasable vellums in customizing the house for you.

Here are tips for selecting the most appropriate plan.

Have you tried our detailed searches that allow you to sort by some of the criteria below or by the front of the house?
If you've tried those as well as our tips below and still need help, scroll to the bottom of this page for information about our House Plan Selection Consulting.

Which Plan is Right For Me?

Which direction will the front of your house face?

The front will be the side of the house that you see as you approach the house by car or foot. It is usually the most attractive and inviting side of the house. Our house plans are grouped by which direction the front of the houses faces. This will be north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, or southwest. East and west are interchangeable as most of our plans are reversible in this direction. Using your imagination, the main entry of the house can often be moved to another side.

Ones with the fronts facing northeast, northwest, southeast, or southwest are plans that have the house designed to sit at a 45 degree angle to the and as described elsewhere on this site and in our book, should be used with caution.

If the front of the house will be angle toward two directions, like north and west, you will need to search by both of those directions. Also, if your drive comes in from an angled direction such as from the northwest, then it is most likely that either the north or the west of the house could be the front so again search by two directions. (The same applies to houses and drives that face northeast, southeast, or southwest.).

How many levels do you want?

The list shows the square footage (s.f.) for each floor. Often, every thing you need to live is on the first floor so you may not need to build the basement or second floor even though the house plans come with it. (Contact us about custom changes to modify either of these levels or order the CAD [computer-aided design] files or erasable vellums and have the changes made by a local professional.) Many of our homes also have a daylight basement, which allows for pleasant bedrooms and living areas. Since most of our homes have the master bedroom on the first floor, the second floor can often be removed.

What exterior materials do you prefer?

Our plans are grouped by wood, brick or stucco, but they frequently incorporate a mixture of materials including stone. The exterior wall construction, siding, and roofing are the easiest feature of our plans to change.

Do you want a garage?

Most of our plans have a garage option. See each house plan. Garages can usually easily be added or removed by you or us.

What kind of foundation do you prefer?

Some of our plans come with a concrete slab, a crawlspace, and a basement, while others have only one of these. The description drop down box at the top of each house plan page describes the foundation that the house comes with as well as other construction features.

Where is north?

North is often the top of the map, but not always. The long side of the house with windows needs to face within 15 degrees of south unless it is one of our 45 degree angled plans. (See north arrow on floor plan.)

Please note that "north" on our plans refers to true (geographic) north. The north arrow on your site may point to either true north or magnetic (compass) orientations may differ by up to 20 degrees from true north so it is critical that you identify prior to selecting a plan, to which of those your north arrow points esp. if you have a tight lot. For large lots, your surveyor can stake it out correctly during construction with their GPS instruments. The difference between magnetic and true north is called the magnetic declination. Natural Resources of Canada has an excellent site for identifying magnetic deviation for any location once you insert your latitude and longitude found on the sides and bottoms of road or USGS maps.

Can the elevations be changed?

The exterior is often the easiest aspect to change about a plan. From our CAD files, your local architect or design professional can change the way the house looks.

Can I have a large front porch on the south?

No, and I hope this is the only time you will see this word on our web site. South porches shade the windows from the winter sun. It is possible to keep the large porch look with a sunroom on a south-facing front. Porches on the east, west, and north do not usually compromise the passive solar gain and can even help with cooling. You will notice however, that some of our homes have a porch on the southeast or southwest corner which sacrifices some solar gain, but at least gets a porch on the front/south.

What if I want to build with SIPs, ICFs, logs, straw bales, or other non-conventional methods?

Some of our plans are already designed for the use of SIPs (structural insulated panels) and ICFs (insulated concrete forms), although standard construction can still be used. It is fairly easy to ask your builder to substitute 2x6 exterior walls with SIPs or ICFs, but changing a roof to SIP's is usually a major change and one that should be thoroughly evaluated prior to the change. For these and other methods of construction, it may be best to order our erasable vellums or CAD files and have the changes made locally in conjunction with the subcontractor who will installing the SIP, ICF, straw bales, or logs.

Is there a list of plans already designed for the use of ICFs?

Yes. Please go to the ICF house plans page. 

Why are blueprints not available for all designs?

We have some designs in the concept stage that have not been fully developed. These are usually referred to as "Idea Plans." We do not develop these until we get a custom order to complete the plans. The cost of doing so is less than a custom design, but more than a set of completed drawings. Our customers have indicated that they still like to see these designs for ideas.

Can you let me know when you have new plans designed?

Yes! Please go to the upcoming house plans page and send us your e-mail address so we can notify you by e-mail when new house plans and services are offered (we do not share your e-mail address with others).

Can you send larger drawings so I can read the room sizes better?

The floor plans on the web site focus on furniture placement rather than room sizes to indicate what is possible in a room. If you would like clearer information on the room dimensions we suggest you order the Study Plan, Construction Review Set, or our The Sun-Inspired House if you are interested in several house plans.

House Plan Selection Consulting

If you've tried our search tips and tools and still need help, consider our House Plan Selection Consulting.
We can answer many types of questions about our pre-designed plans and help you determine which if any will work (with or without modifications) for your land, lifestyle, or climate. We can also answer many other energy-related questions that you may have. To take full advantage of the service, its best to have detailed information about your site to send us.
Download a copy of the House Plan Selection Consulting Questionnaire that explains the policies and prices, which start at $395. You'll be surprised at all of the things that need to be evaluated simultaneously.
It is a good starting point if you have not yet narrowed down a plan plus the service is designed to flow into Consulting and Review of changes you might like to a - often for no additional charge. For more about the next step, please see Custom Changes Consulting & Review. We can answer many types of questions about our pre-designed plans and help you determine which if any will work (with or without modifications) for your land, lifestyle, or climate. We can also answer many other energy-related questions that you may have.