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The Story behind Design 101
Design 101 was drawn for a family in Waramanga who wanted a small home on the block that looked as if it had always been there, and it was built in 2023. She showed the drawings to her mother before the last changes were made.
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Brick to match the house. A door that swings the right way.
Three ways to finish the brick, and the one they chose
The family liked the design but not the way the front brickwork seemed to stop. The design team priced three options. Carrying the brick piers to the roof meant extra structure over the windows; brick to the top only where brick already sat was dearer cladding. Option 3A, brick to the window heads with a Colorbond capping on top, was the most efficient, and it is what was drawn: darker red brick to match the existing house, with Monument weatherboard above.
Twelve metres by three point six
The footprint is 12.0 by 3.6 metres, 43.2 square metres, which is how it fits along the block. Inside, the living, dining and kitchen run 4.7 by 3.1 metres and open west through a 2,100 by 2,100 sliding door onto an 11 square metre deck. The skillion roof pitches at 8 degrees, so the living room ceiling rises from 2.4 metres at the wall to just over 2.8 at the ridge, with a highlight window over the living room and the main glazing facing north.
Small decisions, made before the drawings were finalised
The front door was reversed to swing the other way, as the family asked. The footpath was extended to run the length of the house, with a square that comes around to the deck. The wall behind the kitchen was thickened so overhead cabinets could be screwed to it across a cavity sliding door. And the family asked for custom joinery for the cupboard in the laundry rather than a flat-pack, so the cupboard was added to the plan.
A bedroom, a robe, and doors that suit later
The bedroom is 3.05 by 3.1 metres with a 600 mm built-in robe. The bathroom is 2.88 by about 1.86 metres, with the laundry cupboard off the hall and a 1,180 by 1,000 shower. Every door, the entry included, is 870 mm, a mix of cavity sliding and hinged. Colorbond Monument runs across the roof, gutters and trim, so the building reads as one thing beside the house it was matched to.
Design dimensions and areas12
- The space inside
- Gross floor areaThe floored, enclosed space. This is the figure to compare against any other quote.
- 42 m²
- Internal width × depthWall to wall, the space you actually furnish.
- 11.5 × 3.1 m
- Internal ceilingsThe height inside, taken at the highest point of the ceiling. A standard flat ceiling is 2.4 metres; a raked ceiling rises from the walls to this height.
- 2.84 m, raked from 2.4 m at the walls
- Room by room
- Living
- 4.7 × 3.1 m, 14.6 m²
- On your block
- Overall width × depthWhat the building takes out of your yard, and the figure your setbacks are measured against.
- 12 × 3.6 m
- Deck and entertainmentOutdoor living, and it sits outside the floor area above rather than inside it.
- 11.2 m² deck
- The roof
- Roof pitchHow steep the roof is, and where the extra height inside comes from.
- 8°
- EaveHow far the roof hangs past the wall. It shades the glass through summer and lets the low winter sun in.
- 450 mm
- Getting around
- Entry doorThe width of the opening at the front door.
- 870 mm
- Internal doorsA standard internal door is 820 mm. A cavity slider runs into the wall instead of swinging into the room.
- 870 mmcavity sliding
- ShowerHow much room there is to move inside the shower.
- 1,180 × 1,000 mm
- Step-freeNo steps or hobs to cross, which matters if mobility ever changes.
- Single level
Measured from this design's own approved drawings.
Architectural and design features13
- StyleThe look of the home, and the roof shape that carries most of it.
- Contemporary skillion
- Roof formThe shape of the roof, which is most of what the home looks like from the street.
- Skillion at 8°
- Ceiling styleWhether the ceiling is flat or follows the roofline.
- Raked, 2.4 m rising to 2.84 m
- Roof materialWhat the roof is made of.
- Colorbond
- Wall claddingWhat the outside walls are made of.
- painted timber composite weatherboard with Brick
- Windows and doorsThe window and door types drawn for this design.
- Aluminium sliding windows, a 2,100 x 2,100 sliding door to the deck and a highlight window over the living room
- ColoursAs drawn on the elevations. Every one of them can be changed.
- Monument on the roof, and the gutters and trim. Red brick and Monument on the walls.
- LayoutHow the rooms are arranged.
- Open plan living
- LevelsWhether the home is on one level or more.
- Single level
- StorageBuilt-in storage drawn into the design rather than added later.
- Built-in robe
- Natural lightWhere the light comes from.
- Northerly glazingHighlight windows
- Outdoor connectionHow the home opens to the outside.
- Deck
- Energy and comfortHow little heating and cooling the home needs. The star rating runs to 10, and 7 is above the minimum required.
- Minimum 7 star energy rating, double glazed windows and doors, insulation upgrade
The style of this design, read from the approved plan and elevations.
Total Project Value – Explained
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Build value
Construction of your home, including your customised selections, finishes and inclusions within the agreed allowances, delivered turnkey and ready to move into.
Planning fees and charges
Home warranty and associated insurances, ACT Government fees, engineering, and the 54+ plans and documents required for development approval, building approval and the final Certificate of Occupancy.
Utility connections
Sewer, stormwater, electricity and sub-board connections, communications, excavation and site preparation for a standard block. Approximately 80% of blocks meet these criteria.
Design 101 · Total project value
All three components combined.
What could this be per week?
The amount you contribute towards the project.
Example rate. Adjust it to explore your payments.
Estimated weekly payment
per week
Interest only · 6.5% p.a.
Amount financed: $269,802.29
Illustrative estimate only, calculated as annual interest divided by 52. Excludes lender fees. Interest-only payments do not reduce the loan balance. Actual repayments depend on your lender and loan terms.