Design Q+A

Here are a few questions we've received from prospective clients that we thought might be of interest to you. We welcome your questions. You might see your question appear on a future edition of this page!

• Q: We are looking for a lot that takes full advantage of your design philosophy and approach. What is the best lot orientation for a solar home in my area, considering street access?

• A: A lot with good southern exposure is the best place to start since a solar home needs south-facing windows to collect solar heat. Typically, the rooms that get used during the day have southern exposure while bedrooms, garages and secondary spaces face north. If you want your south windows to face the street, choose a lot that is on the north side of an east-west street. If you'd like south windows to face your back yard, choose a lot on the south side of the street. Lots with road access on the east and west work too, as long as you have good southern exposure. Your main living spaces will still face south. We will fine-tune solar calculations for the climate during design. The only thing we try to avoid is a north entry, because they are dark and uninviting in all climates. Even a house on the south side of a east-west street can have the entry on the north east or north west side, which solves that problem.

• Q: We will be designing our home from a distance. How does this work?

• A: Location is not a problem with the services we provide. We have designed Sunlight homes across the country, from coast to coast for many years and have fine-tuned the process. After our initial site visit, which takes place at your building location, design is done in our office and sent to you for review. Once construction begins, the component package items are drop shipped to your building site when your contractor needs them. All of the other finish materials are provided by a local contractor of your choice. Fortunately, any reasonably competent builder can build a SIP home. We recommend that you find a builder whom you like and trust and who is interested in building a SIP home. We'll give them the information they need to build the home successfully. We are always available to consult with you and your builder.

• Q: We like a rustic style and want some exposed beams and a loft. The home photos on your site are more contemporary than we have in mind. Can you design a home in the style we are after?

• A: A rustic look, or any other style you choose, is designed into the home from the beginning, then augmented with appropriate finishes—perhaps rough hewn beams in this case. Since SIP panel construction naturally lends itself to vaulted ceilings, we've designed many homes with lofts. Our job is to design a structure that fits your land, your budget and your lifestyle in your desired style. The photos on our site are a small sample of what we've done. We have a Japanese-style home in southern California, a New England saltbox on the east coast, plenty of mountain homes in the Rockies and some country ranches and prairie homes in the Midwest.

• Q: Are there any Sunlight homes in our area that we can see?

• A: I wish we could say yes to this, but our homes are all occupied by past clients and we have to respect their privacy. There are security issues as well. If you are interested in learning more about us, we suggest a trip to Albuquerque to meet us. We'll show you our home/office and discuss your project in detail. We're only 45 minutes from Santa Fe, so plan an extra day to see the "city different"!