wrote in message
ups.com...
Something like this perhaps?
http://www.ezyhomes.com.au/images/ou...Floor-Plan.jpg

no. not like that.

or this:
http://www.beachlifehomes.com.au/kit...kitplans_id=55

no. not like that either.

I see lots of designs in this range. I see an awful lot of "home
theatres" as well, but apparently lots of people want those.

"environmentally sound" does not equal "ridiculously expensive" (nor even
"more expensive")

It definitely equals "more expensive" (at least in up front cost).

evidently you have no idea how cheap strawbale or onsite stone houses are,
or houses built from 2nd hand materials, or houses built into the earth,
(etc), if you are sticking to this line. i'm not comparing a daddy mcmansion
to a baby mcmansion, i'm comparing houses all around. and since the
instant-house industry hasn't got enough to offer that is suitable from both
points of view, there you are. i didn't claim there weren't ANY. i said
there are not ENOUGH and there aren't enough.

Any insulation is going to cost more than no insulation.

ffs, even my glorified shed has insulation.

Larger
eaves cost more than "tuscan" eaves. Timber or tile floors

you're not, of course, claiming that _ceramic_ tile is helpful in terms of
saving energy, are you.

cost
more than carpet. Termimesh costs more than poison. A
greywater system costs more than linking straight
into the sewer. A rainwater tank costs more than a sump. Timber
window frames cost more than aluminium. I could go on ad nauseum...

obviously. i've answered that. 2nd hand timber windows are worth the
relatively small amount you pay compared to new aluminium. not everyone
needs consider termites, and termimesh and poison are not the only two
options. greywater planned into the system is NOT "more" expensive unless
such a thing is not allowed for in the first instance, when it should be
anyway, of course. we're not on the sewerage system at all so the greywater
system is fabulously simple and would only have cost the same as sending it
somewhere else anyway, and everyone can make the choice of where to send
their greywater if they're building from scratch. and so on. if a project or
kit home doesn't make allowance for greywater recycling, then magically it
will cost more to "add" something that's not there, eh? don't you think
there should be the odd mandated feature that's just standard? and reduce
costs elsewhere on things that are simply a waste.

I designed my sister-in-laws house recently,

hence your interest, i take it.
/rolls eyes

and I specified
reverse-brick-veneer walls, which have pretty much ultimate
thermal performance. The cost is about $10 to $15K over
conventional double brick. How many buyers are prepared
to pay that for something you can't even see?

well, why don't you tell me?
i would pay extra for something that saves extra, because it would save much
more than that in the long run.

(snip)
that's all i'm saying :-) you'll have seen yourself there's just a gap in
that middle section of the market.

No, I don't really. Are you talking kit homes here or project homes?

kits mostly, but both applies.

I see a shortage of houses that have real design flair, that look a
bit different from the other houses in the street, that use
unconventional
materials, or that include serious environmental modifications as
standard. In short, the market is depressingly conservative. But
there are lots of houses of around 150sqm or less which are modest
in appearance and function.

well, obviously, as well as that, there are other requirements. modesty's no
good if the house is a toxin-exuding energy-wasting piece of shit that will
fall down in 20 years. but don't mind me - i didn't do months of research on
this or anything, i just felt like saying that, so i did. aren't i wacky?

Passive solar design revolves around designing to suit the site
and climate. You can't design a passive solar house without
knowing where it is going to be located and which direction it
is going to face. (snip)

passive solar needs to work on orientation towards the north or it doesn't
happen, i think some basic plans are well possible, don't you?
equally, the plethora of bad kit & project home designs that are entirely
unsuitable in materials and general layout, for virtually anywhere, almost
defies belief. i maintain that this is both extremely common and very
unfortunate, and you can think what you like. how's that?