Debra Rucker Coleman, Architect
HOUSE PLANS
HOUSE PLAN SPECS
Floor 1
1,588 sf
Floor 2
1,028 sf
Total
2,616 sf
Daylight Basement
1,305 sf
Unfinished Basement
1,588 sf
Entry Faces
East
South Glass
9%
Complexity
average
Sunny Dreams
PLAN PRICING
$80
Study Plans
11x17 set of drawings to better study the design of the house. 6-9 pages depending upon the size of the home. Excludes construction information and custom energy specs. Choose PAPER or PDF. After the order is placed, send a summary list of your ideas for customization and Sun Plans can tell you if the ideas are practical ones.
Sun Plans uses PayPal for secure payment processing. You may pay with a PayPal account, or any major credit card (no PayPal account required).

Payment will be handled on the secure PayPal web site, then you'll be returned to the Sun Plans site.
 
Plan Name:
Sunny Dreams
Plan Format:
PDF Files Paper Both (+$20)
Total Price:
$80
 

$340
Review Sets
11x17 mini set of Construction Prints marked "not for construction". 10-16 pages depending upon the size of the home. Includes Study Plan also. Excludes Custom Energy Specs. Choose PAPER or PDF. After the order is placed, ask for an opinion of construction cost from the architect.
Sun Plans uses PayPal for secure payment processing. You may pay with a PayPal account, or any major credit card (no PayPal account required).

Payment will be handled on the secure PayPal web site, then you'll be returned to the Sun Plans site.
 
Plan Name:
Sunny Dreams
Plan Format:
PDF Files Paper Both (+$50)
Total Price:
$340
 

$2,290
Construction Prints
24x36 construction drawings. 10-16 pages depending upon the size of the home. Includes Custom Energy Specs. Choose 6 PAPER sets or PDF.
Sun Plans uses PayPal for secure payment processing. You may pay with a PayPal account, or any major credit card (no PayPal account required).

Payment will be handled on the secure PayPal web site, then you'll be returned to the Sun Plans site.
 
Plan Name:
Sunny Dreams
Plan Format:
PDF Files Paper Both (+$200)
Total Price:
$2,290
 

$2,290
CAD Files
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Files for having changes made by a local architect, design professional or engineer. Includes CAD Files, PDF Files, Custom Energy Specs and a Copyright Release. Electronic delivery.
Sun Plans uses PayPal for secure payment processing. You may pay with a PayPal account, or any major credit card (no PayPal account required).

Payment will be handled on the secure PayPal web site, then you'll be returned to the Sun Plans site.
 
Plan Name:
Sunny Dreams
Plan Format:
DWG & PDF Files
Total Price:
$2,290
 

$370
Mirror Reverse
Must be ordered with Construction Prints or CAD Files. Reverse the house along the north-south axis (i.e., if the front faced east, it will be reversed to face west). This is a service performed on the drawings. Drawings will be true right-reading, mirror reverse drawings.
Sun Plans uses PayPal for secure payment processing. You may pay with a PayPal account, or any major credit card (no PayPal account required).

Payment will be handled on the secure PayPal web site, then you'll be returned to the Sun Plans site.
 
Plan Name:
Sunny Dreams
Plan Format:
PDF Files
Total Price:
$370
 

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Study Plans
See larger, clearer, and more drawings than what are shown on the individual house plan pages.
The price can be credited to future orders of Construction Prints or CAD Files of any Sun Plan even if a completely different house plan is later purchased.(Some exceptions if customer requires Study Plan level of consulting.)
Study Plans can be ordered from the Pricing tab for each house plan.

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.

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Review Sets
Review Sets provide information to help decide whether the design will meet the budget. They are mainly for those who crave technical details, have construction experience or have a builder on board. 
The price can be credited to future orders of Construction Prints or CAD Files of any Sun Plan even if a completely different house plan is later purchased. (Some exceptions if customer requires Review Set level of consulting.)
Review Sets can be ordered from the Pricing tab for each house plan.. 
Review Sets include:
  • 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.)
Review Sets may vary slightly from later orders of Construction Prints and CAD Files since drawings are continuously being updated to meet newer construction and in-house standards,
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Construction Prints
Large Construction Prints with clear, concise information make it easy for builders to follow yet they are flexible enough to adapt locally based on the price and availability of materials and subcontractors, various construction methods and home owner preferences. Together, every builder and home owner will change some aspects of the design before or during construction. If mutually agreeable (and approved by the building inspector and local engineer), these "field changes" can often be made with red notes on the Construction Prints. (For complex changes, please see CAD Files or Adapt-A-SunPlan Services.)
Construction Prints include:
  • 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
Miscellaneous Details
  • 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.
Rick is in the lighting business and reviews construction prints in his work.
They are wonderful!  If you saw most of the drawings and specifications I see, you would wonder how anything got built properly...It is just nice to see a true professional who does the job correctly and takes pride in her work.  In my 34 years of working with Architects you are hands down the best I have had the privilege to work with. - Rick
A client sent a set of Construction Prints (designed for stick construction) to a SIP company to have them converted to SIPs. This is what they told the home owners:
I also wanted to take this opportunity to confirm your selection of Sun Plans Inc.  We receive many sets of drawings each day that are interested in comparing SIPs.  The drawings submitted by Sun Plans Inc. were high quality and very easy for us to work from. - Steve, SIPS of the South
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CAD Files
CAD files are the most flexible type of construction drawings since they can be modified and sent electronically. While the house design is intended to save the home owner energy, the CAD files are designed to save the energy of design professionals by making adaptations proceed faster should it be desired to have someone other than Sun Plans make the changes. The PDF files that are a part of the order allow for printing unlimited Construction Prints even if no changes are made. CAD files are intended to be used by professionals experienced in residential design.
CAD Files Include:
  • 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.
CAD File Details
  •  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.
Examples of how the CAD files are used include: 
  • 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.
Info for the Design Professional
  • 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.

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Mirror Reverse
Similar to the Mirror Reverse feature for each house plan, mirror reversing Construction Prints and CAD Files flips the house plan on the north-south axis. However, the Mirror Reverse custom service also reverses the text and numbers so that they are no longer backwards. The drawings will be "right reading". It takes some time to check for overlapping text and numbers, but it is a worthwhile service considering the errors that can be made by the builders and their subs if they otherwise tried to reverse the home during construction.
In rectangular plans designed with one long wall designed to face south, the south and north sides will still face the same compass direction, but the east and west walls are reversed. In angled plans designed to sit at a 45 degree angle to south, the mirror line is from the northern-most corner to the southern-most corner which is a diagonal line across the house. What was the northwest wall would then become the northeast wall, and what was the southwest wall would then become the southeast wall.
Instances of when reversing might help include when the home owners want the entry on the east rather than the west. Or maybe a bedroom on the west is desired instead of the east-facing bedroom if light is not wanted from the sunrise. There are hundreds of reasons for mirror reversing a house along the north-south axis. Sometimes the architect suggests it during the Review and Consulting phase of any custom services based on the home owners' site or other particulars.
A local design professional can also do the reversing with the CAD Files.
Mirror Reverse is a not available for the lower-priced Study Plans and Review Sets.
The Sunny Dreams is carefully designed to maximize land use on a narrow lot yet still achieve moderate solar gain. Every square foot has been carefully evaluated to meet the wish list without waste. A small front porch welcomes while the large back porch houses lively entertaining. The transition from front to back reveals a surprise around every corner from the built-in family foyer to the open staircase to the diagonal hearth. Every space with its numerous windows possesses its own character of daylight to match the room and activities that take place within.
"So much light inside!!! Enough that we did not feel sun-deprived after a loooong....winter."
 "Yes, we are enjoying the house EVERY SINGLE DAY!  It feels like a vacation home, and that was exactly our intention."
First Floor
The front bedroom that captures the morning light is perfect for a home office or guestroom as well as a bedroom for those who have trouble navigating stairs. Of course the room where the most time will be spent - the living area - has the number one spot for both solar gain and the lovely west view. The adjacent kitchen and dining also take advantage of those aspects yet are designed to feel like individual rooms. The away room with French doors can be private or an open part of the living space.
Second Floor
A master suite with its own private sitting room that opens to the sunny dining and a balcony that overlooks western sunsets is truly a relaxing get-a-way. The other two bedrooms upstairs are full of character frequently seen in older homes with the sloping ceilings. Ample storage and a nook for a stacked washer-dryer are tucked under the eaves.
Daylight Basement
Close to the bottom of the central staircase in the ground floor is the safe room that can also be a root cellar. The basement foyer then opens into a large game room or family room with a cozy, sunny, sitting area. The west side is perfect for a small studio apartment that can have its own outdoor access.
Garage
The three-vehicle garage has side-entry overhead doors and two doors into the house - one into the foyer and one into the laundry which makes it convenient to hang out clothes via the small side garage door. Pull-down stairs access a large attic area between the roof trusses. Permanent stairs can be constructed.
Construction Info
Exterior, above grade walls are drawn as 6" to allow for 2x6 studs with exterior insulation, or 6" SIP panels. The roof is designed to be constructed with deep rafters to allow for thick insulation. Thermal mass is primarily in the tile floors in the south-facing rooms. The daylight basement with its ICF walls and tile floors has an abundance of thermal mass that can help keep the upper floors cool in summer with the doors between the levels open. The basement and first floor have 9' ceilings while the second floor has sloped ceilings of various heights.
Modification Ideas
Since these may affect energy performance and structural integrity, they should only be undertaken with professional assistance.
  • For south-sloping land, make a full walk-out basement
  • For a larger first floor bedroom and bath, lengthen the house
  • Construct the walls & roof with SIP's for quicker construction
  • Reverse the house for a sunny brunch on the screened porch
Construction Drawings
For this plan, the following are included with Construction Prints and CAD Files:
  • Schematic Site Plan
  • Daylight Basement Plan
  • Floor Plans including Attached Garage
  • Exterior Elevations
  • Building Section
  • Kitchen Elevations
  • Typical Wall Detail
  • Schematic Electrical Plans
  • Schematic Framing Plans
Comments and Photos
Sunny Dreams is living proof that obstacles of Subdivision Covenants can be overcome in green building.  While sun-inspired design styles are adaptable enough for most architectural guidelines, the minimum size requirements that subdivisions often require can be a challenge, but one that was worth it for Nenad and Biljana in their Sunny Dreams home.
 "Yes, we are enjoying the house EVERY SINGLE DAY!  It feels like a vacation home, and that was exactly our intention."
The home was certified gold by the National Association of Home Builders.

Homeowners may want a smaller home that is less expensive to build and to operate.  They may also value quality of space over quantity of square footage.  In creating a custom home for Nenad and Biljana, early in the process they presented Sun Plans with their values and space requirements.  Sun Plans then to created a right-sized home that would be as small as the subdivision allowed yet include all the spaces and features that they wanted.

In a letter written to their local paper, the home owners stated "After hundreds of e-mails and phone calls over about eight months, architect Debra Coleman from Sun Plans, Inc. provided plans that elated the couple, custom-designed for their lifestyle. Then, they went looking for a builder that has a reputation for meeting green standards. They chose Cook Builders in Crown Point."

The home achieved a Gold Rating by the National Association of Home Builders. It also achieved an Energy Star HERS index rating of 53 which means that the home should use about 53% of the energy that a new home built to code would use. With their conservative life-style and attention to energy use, they are hoping that the actual use comes in lower.

Approximately 25% of their heating needs will be provided by the sun and their cooling savings due to right-placed windows and porches will also be reduced.

To stay within budget, the design underwent one stage of plan revisions  that required some changes both in the design and a few energy features.  Working closely with Cook Builders on details of pricing various levels of insulation and Energy Diagnostics as the Energy Star home energy rater and NAHB Green Verifier, both in Indiana, the homeowners were able to identify which energy features were the most cost-effective to bring the house within their budget.
In their case, the basement has concrete walls with rigid insulation board while the upper floor walls are insulated stud cavities with a thin layer of sprayed foam to seal the walls, then cellulose blown on top.  Exterior rigid insulation wraps the exterior walls.  The rafter system has the same combination of sprayed foam and cellulose.  This attention to more insulation that is better installed along with high quality windows increased construction costs by approximately 5-10%.
 
"It feels so good to live here and that is priceless."
 
In describing winter comfort, the home owner says:
 
"At -20F outside, during the sunny days, inside the house was above 73F with the heat turned off."
 
When asked what they like best about their sun-inspired home, they state:
 
"So much light inside!!! Enough that we did not feel sun-deprived after a loooong....winter."- Nenad and Biljana