News from Sun Plans
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Be notified when new sun-inspired, passive solar home designs are
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assist in the early house planning stages and new money-saving specials.
Sun Plans Benefits from Improving Housing Market
As mentioned in previous Sun Plans' E-newsletter:
Begin the planning process sooner rather than later. With the housing market turning around, Sun Plans already has a busy schedule for the first part of 2013.
Even if Sun Plans is not able to start on Adapting-A-SunPlan immediately, for home owners in a hurry, the initial Review and Consulting Services by the architect regarding the ideas for changes to a design can still be completed quickly. Then the recommendations can be passed on to a local design professional to make the changes from the Sun Plans' CAD Files.
For those wishing to Create-A-SunPlan, it is encouraged to send in the initial information as described in the Create-A-SunPlan questionnaire (it has to be personally requested) at the earlier possible time so as to not delay the start of construction.
New House Plans Added
Check out the most recent sun-inspired home designs added to our web site. Thanks again to our clients who make these possible!
Mother Earth News Magazine - Oct/Nov 2012 - Article with Sun Plans Architect!
Read the 6 page article that includes an interview with Debra Rucker Coleman, Architect and author of The Sun-Inspired Home. Read the on line version here.
"Net Zero Performance" in Home Power Magazine - Aug/Sept 2012
A Sun Plan's client who followed the Passivhaus (AKA Passive House) philosophy during construction wrote an extensive article about his home's net zero energy performance the first year in the Aug/Sept 2012 #150 issue of Home Power. Even though 100% passive solar is very difficult to achieve in any climate, even in his cold climate of Colorado, Jim wrote:"The passive solar design meets all of our space-heating needs..."
Atrium 3 Home Featured in "Green Building & Sustainable Strategies"
Sandy and Bill's atrium-style home is reviewed in "Green Building & Sustainable Strategies". The two-story atrium provides natural light and ventilation into the center of the home. Sun Plans homes can be adapted to many budgets based on the interior finishes chosen by the home owner. Sandy and Bill chose some of the finest available.They made some adaptations to the Atrium 3 design on the Sun Plans' web site to fit their lifestyle.
"With the introduction of the “Passive House” into the U.S.,
it’s only natural to be confused with the phrase and wonder how it compares to
a passive solar house including a Sun Plan. A sun-inspired house has always been a passive solar house, but did you
know that it can also be a “Passive House”?"
What do you like best about your Sun-Inspired Home?
(Read the results from the survey of sun-inspired home owners.)
"The amount of sunlight in the rooms. The lower heating
bills are great but the feeling from the light and not having to use lights is
hard to describe."
Affordable Green Solutions
Read the article Affordable Green Solutions in SM Imagazine written by a client of Sun Plans, Eco Builders of Virginia, about a sun-inspired home being designed for them. Take a peek at the Upcoming Design, the Eco Soleil.Create-A-SunPlan & Adapt-A-SunPlan Schedule
Our schedule and work load change continuously. Please use this as a general guide. If you are in a hurry, please do not hesitate to inquire about an expedited process. As a rule, spring is the busiest time and winter is the slowest season.
Design work for custom homes or custom adaptations can typically start within a few weeks of receiving information. When the initial review package with the questionnaire, additional information on what is desired in a home, and a check for the review and consulting is sent in, it is held until the work is begun.
Need some simpler changes done quickly? Please do not hesitate to ask since they can sometimes be completed within a couple of weeks. Contact us and we'll be glad to let you know how quickly we can get them completed. Or, if the Sun Plans' schedule is not quick enough, you may want to consider having a local design professional make the changes from the CAD Files.
Review and Consulting on initial information submitted: 1-2 Weeks (typical)
The architect typically completes the review within two weeks of receiving the initial information of the detailed wish list or proposed changes to a design.
Adapt-a-SunPlan: 2 to 6 Weeks (typical)
After the above-mentioned review stage is completed, and if the proposal for making the changes is accepted, the Adapt-A-SunPlan process can go quickly, but often home owners request more changes once the process is begun.
Create-a-SunPlan: 2 to 6 Months
After the review stage is completed, and if the proposal for creating the new design is accepted, the Create-A-SunPlan process typically takes at least 2 months for creating a custom sun-inspired home; however, it typically takes longer. (Longer than 6 months total in the process is not advised since it is too easy to loose momentum and forget project details.)
For the possibility of a quicker process, please Contact Us as our schedule continuously changes. Additional fees may apply.
