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 Acorn is a bright, low-energy home bursting with sun and convenience. Beginning at the east-facing front door, and continuing throughout, windows are carefully placed to admit the right amount of light and heat. The "L" shaped front of the home creates a type of courtyard and gives flexibility to place the home on land with a driveway approaching from the north or east.
"My husband and I are so happy with our home. If the day is sunny, the furnace does not kick on until the wee hours of the morning - even if it is single digits outside." -
The open staircase designed for wood stairs that is part of the entry greatly opens up the space-saving foyer. Immediately the eye travels beyond it to the bright, south wall of windows in front of the dining, great room and kitchen. The master bedroom takes advantage of the sunny south side as well as morning sun through the east-facing window box.
That leaves the cooler north side for the more utilitarian spaces such as baths, laundry, stairs and mechanical spaces. Centrally located bedroom 2 can also be a study that opens up to the main living area. For bedroom use, bath 2 can be accessed privately. The kitchen is ideally placed close to the laundry/mudroom and garage whose workshop area can be used for canning. The laundry that has a sink in a counter that works equally well for cleaning vegetables straight from the garden. The opposite long wall has plenty of space for boots, coats and cubbies as needed.
The master bedroom and bath, as well as the kitchen and laundry allow for aging in place with larger than average spaces. Higher than average amount of Universal Design features are included.
The daylight basement shown with window wells for a flat lot (full walkout is also possible) has 3 extra bedrooms for a five bedroom home! The split bathroom can be used by more than one. A large recreation area with a study nook makes the lower perfect for children even if they only return home seasonally with their own family. The northwest room tucked into the corner near the bottom of the stairs is perfect for a root cellar or safe room. .
The two car garage with workshop has the garage doors near the front door to minimize distance to the kitchen when unloading from outside. Being close to the kitchen, the workshop can easily become a hobby room or canning space since the side door can go directly out to a garden.
With its simple shaped stud walls and truss roof, the Acorn will be an economical to build home. The truss framed roof with raised heels allows for extra thick, economical insulation while the truss-framed floors accommodate duct work and utilities so that an 8' basement is more acceptable and cost-effective. The first floor main living area has 9' ceilings and the central great room is designed to be slightly vaulted. The masonry wood stove provides much of the thermal mass and a thinner tile system in the south-facing rooms provides the remainder. The exterior is designed for horizontal cement board siding, stone veneer foundation and a metal roof which makes for a low-maintenance home that is resistant to exterior fires.
Since these ideas may affect energy performance and structural integrity, they should be undertaken with professional assistance.
- For a one story home, replace the stairs with a large pantry or a small study or craft nook.
- Enclose the corner back porch for a winter greenhouse or, if the plan is reversed, for a bright morning room.
For this plan, the following drawings are included with Construction Prints and CAD Files:
- Schematic Site Plan
- Daylight Basement Plan
- Floor Plan with attached garage
- Exterior Elevation
- Building Section
- Kitchen Elevation
- Typical Wall Detail
- Schematic Electrical
- Schematic Framing Plans
"I wanted to let you know that every year my mom and I have a contest to see who can hold out the longest before turning the heater on. With our new home, she will never be able to win again. The heat from the day keeps our house warm all night. It is approaching November and we still have not turned the heater on. We are very happy with our home. Thank you so much!" - Alice and Kyle
We really appreciate the sharing of photos from Alice! The first group of photos.
Later, Scott and Natalie built the home and sent the aerial photos. They still have the basement attached awning to add. (Sometimes we recommend that clients wait a season before adding them since the extra thermal mass of the lower daylight basement can keep the home from overheating in summer if the climate is not too hot. They shared:
"The first year we have used one fourth the propane we used in the home I built in the same area 20 years ago. Very pleased with the comfort and energy efficiency." - Scott
Their new home is only about 10% smaller than their previous one. While many clients use the mini-split heat pumps if they are going all electric, especially if they will be adding PV solar panels, some clients still prefer to use propane if they are in a climate that does not need the air conditioning that mini-split heat pumps can also provide.
Scott and Natalie also changed the location of the kitchen in their home - swapping it with the living area. Few people build a home exactly to a home's original design as they tweak it to fit their family and lifestyle.
