ISBN: 9780976731801 Year Added to Catalog: 2005 Book Format: Paperback Book Art: 50 House Designs, Illustrations, Charts and Maps, Number of Pages: 8 1/2 x 11, 256 pages Book Publisher: Sun Plans Inc. Old ISBN: 0976731800 Release Date: October 31, 2005
W hen I read the title of Debra Rucker Coleman’s new book, I assumed that it was going to be a coffee table book, full of beautiful pictures for the greenbuilder wanna-be. Instead, it’s more of a reference handbook for the novice homebuilder and remodeler interested in passive solar home construction. Although there are many attractive homes presented, they are used mostly to support and illustrate Coleman’s home-building tips.
This primer opens with simple conceptual drawings and photos of the basic theories behind passive solar house design and home energy efficiency. The author has coined the term “Sun-Inspired” home to describe a design concept that focuses on daylighting, and passive solar heating and cooling, helping to make a home energy efficient.
The book is divided into two parts. In the first half, Coleman outlines nineteen elements essential to building a more efficient home, such as orienting a building properly, calculating the ideal proportions of south-facing glass, and sizing thermal mass. Detailed information is given, for example, on balancing the amount of south glass needed for passive heat versus losing heat from installing too many windows. She also discusses mechanical systems, lighting, construction costs, and more.
The “Construction Drawings” chapter is the perfect example of how important this book is to the novice builder. It lists what should be included in construction drawings, such as a schematic site plan, floor plan, exterior elevations, and wall detail. For the layperson, Coleman gives information and definitions about building codes, drawing options, blueprints, vellums, and CAD files.
The second half of the book is 50 Sun-Inspired house plans. Included with each floor plan and front elevation is a detailed description of the first and second floors, a “daylight” basement (where applicable), and a garage, as well as construction information and plan modification ideas. For quick reference, a house plan summary compares the primary design elements of the 50 different floor plans. Coleman also provides detailed feedback from several owners of the homes she has helped design, and includes their challenges, disappointments, and hindsight.
The appendix is full of great tools for homeowners who are trying to get a handle on building a home to meet their land’s unique attributes. Coleman covers magnetic declination, lists international residential building codes for insulation requirements, and gives additional solar resource listings.
Coleman is convinced that “a custom-designed home is within reach of everyone.” Her book is a good beginner’s guide to understanding passive solar design concepts and energy efficient building strategies. The finest compliment I can give this book is to say that it will be dog-eared by the end of your building project.
Foreword Magazine Reivew
Debbie Coleman’s The Sun-Inspired House, from Sun Plans, provides readers with two books in one. The first five chapters define the author’s niche, explore the advantages of designing with the sun, and outline the positive environmental aspects of homes that recognize the sun as “the center of our world.” In subsequent chapters, which resemble the more common house plan book, actual drawings are presented, but unlike the plans in such standard books, these were originally designed for one particular family. Coleman says that one of her main purposes in creating the book was to share these plans, hoping to “inspire families to integrate the sun into their own designs.” The design ideas she includes will inspire readers to consider the sun when designing their new homes.
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