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Part 2 · Build the house and its systems

House design

This module takes you from a written brief to a permit-ready, buildable house design that heats and cools itself as far as the climate allows. It covers climate analysis, orientation, glazing, shading, thermal mass, insulation, airtightness, construction systems, structure, foundations and commissioning.

Why it matters

Off-grid, every watt of heating or cooling must come from your own panels, batteries, wood or gas, so a well-designed envelope directly shrinks the power, thermal and fuel systems you must buy. The roof is also your water catchment and PV mount. Design mistakes such as wrong orientation or a leaky envelope are very expensive or impossible to fix after the build.

Write the brief and read the climate (Plan)

  1. Write the design brief and space programme design-1
  2. Plan for future expansion and ageing in place design-2
  3. Analyse the climate and pick a passive strategy design-3

Shape the house: orientation, glass, mass and roof (Design)

  1. Orient the house and zone the rooms design-4
  2. Size sun-facing glazing against floor area and thermal mass design-5
  3. Design fixed shading and roof overhangs design-6
  4. Decide where thermal mass goes and how much design-7
  5. Plan natural ventilation, courtyards and cool roofs for heat design-8
  6. Design the roof for rainwater catchment and solar PV design-9
  7. Design the service spaces design-10

Choose the structure and foundations (Design)

  1. Choose a construction system design-11
  2. Check the code route for natural or alternative systems design-12
  3. Understand structural loads and when an engineer is required design-13
  4. Choose and design the foundations design-14

Structure and hazards: wind, earthquake, flood and wildfire (Design)

  1. Find your site's hazards and design values design-24
  2. Build a continuous load path for high wind and cyclones design-25
  3. Design for earthquakes design-26
  4. Build to resist floods design-27
  5. Rate and build for wildfire design-28

Detail the envelope (Design)

  1. Specify insulation levels and avoid thermal bridges design-15
  2. Design the air barrier and set an airtightness target design-16
  3. Control vapour and manage moisture design-17
  4. Specify windows and glazing design-18

Documents and build sequence (Install)

  1. Prepare permit-ready drawings and hand off to legal design-19
  2. Follow the master build sequence and inspection hold points design-20
  3. Run a mid-build airtightness test design-21

Commission and live with the house (Test)

  1. Commission the envelope with a final blower door test design-22

Tune the house in use (Run)

  1. Check performance over the first year design-23

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