When it comes to great house design ask any architect or savvy house builder in the Hunter Valley for the three words most often spoken on the topic and they’ll tell you: affordable, adaptable and sustainable. With interest rates on the rise and the continued demand for eco-wise approaches to design and building practices, home builders are seeking out affordable architecture to deliver both practical and creative design solutions. 

Design suited to the Australian Climate

The sustainable home builder is aware that effective architectural design must harness the best of the Australian climate as well as the specific challenges it presents. In a region that experiences an average of eight hours of sunlight a day, the Hunter Valley builder can take full advantage of that solar energy with the use of passive design principles. Effective design that incorporates sunlight in the winter months can contribute to reduction in heating costs.

Passive design principles factor in the orientation of the house on the block of land, making best use of the northern aspect. This can be particularly advantageous in winter months. Wherever the sun falls on a thermal mass, be it concrete or tiled flooring, the heat will be absorbed during the day and radiate that warmth long after the sun has disappeared. 

Likewise, reducing the impact of the sun in the summer months through adequate shading with the use of deep eaves or verandah, will lessen the reliance on air-conditioning and its expense.

Quality insulation and glazing are also core to passive design principles in order to keep in the warmth in winter and cool in summer. To maintain a comfortable living environment, adequate airflow is also an important aspect of effective design. 

Flexible home design that has it all!

Offering architecturally inspired designs at an affordable price, The Valley Series allows homeowners to tailor the best aspects of flexible home design to suit their needs. These Hunter Valley house designs are perfect for both the first time buyer or the investor, whether you’re looking for a modern or heritage styled home that includes favourite contemporary features. The secret of the Valley Series is the mix and match home design with a range of modern and heritage front and rear façades.

Heritage appeal

For some home owners the heritage style perfectly fits their vision of a classic Hunter Valley house design. The Valley Series has five pitched roof front and rear façades that would blend with the character of an older suburb or simply satisfy the desire for the Hamptons look.

A popular destination for wealthy New Yorkers, The Hamptons district of Long Island in the USA, is the source of inspiration for this ever-popular style. Hamptons is all about indoor/outdoor living and features large windows that fill the home with light. With the Valley Series it’s possible to capture the classic Hamptons style by choosing a front and rear façade with a pitched roof veranda and weatherboard effect. Painting the fascia and timber posts white will finesse the look. It’s a timeless style that comes across as effortless and charming. 

Modern lines

The Valley Series also offers contemporary designs with modern front and rear façades that include the skillion roof and covered outdoor area. These stylish designs provide a real contrast to the traditional pitched or gabled roofline. Some homeowners keen to install solar panels also have a preference for this style.

With all of the Valley Series floor plans you will find the best in modular home design including an open plan kitchen with generous living area utilising passive design principles.

There are a variety of layouts to satisfy every homeowner from ‘The Compact’, to fit the smaller block and budget to ‘The Connoisseur’ with its generous sized kitchen and servery while ‘The Executive’ is perfect for those looking to work from home.

The biophilic design principles of bringing the outside in and incorporating nature inspired elements  to contribute to health and well being have been applied to the Valley Series not only with use of natural light but also the inclusion of an alfresco area in each design. ‘The Sanctuary’ has the added bonus of private courtyard off the master bedroom, in which an abundance of plants could be cultivated to create a personal oasis of tranquility.

‘The Entertainer’ also has a private courtyard as well as a media room while ‘The Classic’ simply provides all you could want in a four bedroom home.

The house builder in the Hunter Valley to offer the complete service 

Investors and buyers seeking  affordable architecture that allow use of passive design principles suited to the Australian climate need look no further than the Valley Series. And who better to build it than Valley Homes, the Hunter Valley builder with over 50 years experience in the construction industry. We keep the business of homebuilding simple and guide you all the way from design to build.

Comfortable living

Valley Homes created the Valley Series to provide clients with the style of an architectural home, the flexibility of mix and match home design and the advantages of passive design principles.

The six Valley Series floor plans all include generous living areas that create a sense of space and openness connecting to the alfresco area. If orientated to the north, these house designs also ensure passive solar gain for the rooms that most need it. Living areas and the kitchen are usually the most important locations for passive heating because they are used day and evening. Polished concrete or tiling across the floors can create a thermal mass to absorb the winter sun and continue radiating that heat once the sun has gone down.

The Valley Series offers great flexibility with a variety of front and rear designs to choose from. The rear designs each have covered outdoor areas. By choosing a northern orientation, the deep verandahs create ample shade in the summer but allow the area to be bathed in the low-hanging winter sun so that outdoor entertaining can be enjoyed all year round. The Valley Series house designs are well suited to the climate of the Newcastle and Hunter Valley region.

Passive design principles also take advantage of variable cool breezes. In Newcastle and the Hunter Valley we all know what a difference it makes when a Southerly blows in after a hot Summer day. It’s a relief to feel that cool air blow through house, shifting the stale and oppressive heat of the day. With the Valley Series good ventilation is evident in each of the floor plans as the flow of air can be channeled through the house from the front to the back. Louvre windows can also be strategically incorporated into the house design to draw cool air through the home.

In contrast, it’s just as important to minimize unwelcome draughts in cooler months. Valley Homes uses only high quality doors and windows that meet the mandatory minimum specification ( AS 2047) which means they have been tested for maximum deflection under wind pressure, air leakage, and water penetration resistance. Top quality glazing and insulation contributes to an energy efficient home.

Choose a local builder that ‘gets it’

This is a great reason to choose a Newcastle builder like Valley Homes. Working in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley for over 50 years, we know the local climate and we’re aware of the ways in which it’s changing. We know that great architecture and passive design principles can make a huge difference to the quality of construction as well as quality of living. We also understand that when clients choose to build a new house they expect it to also be an energy efficient home. Valley Homes is the local home builder with the experience to meet all these needs and your expectations – contact us today to find out more.

Choose an exterior that reflects your style

With the Valley Series you choose your exterior from a range of façades. This includes six stylish modern facades with clean lines, skillion roof and a large covered outdoor entertainment area for alfresco dining.

As a contrast, the five pitched roof front and rear facades offer an alternative for the home builder seeking something more traditional such as the Hamptons look. The Hamptons district of Long Island in the US is a popular destination for wealthy New Yorkers, and the source of inspiration for this popular style. Hamptons is all about indoor-outdoor living with large windows showering the home in light. To capture the classic Hamptons style choose a front and rear façade with a pitched roof veranda and weatherboard effect. Paint the fascia and timber posts white to complete the look. It’s a timeless style that comes across as effortless and calming.

If you’re a house builder based in the heritage surrounds of Maitland or the Hunter Valley the pitched roof can also suits a heritage themed home. Of course, not every regional home wants to go colonial and so the modern design with a skillion roof is a great alternative.

Mix and match

You’d like a heritage front with a contemporary rear façade? No problem! It’s possible to combine the best of both designs with Valley Homes new Valley Series range. With many Newcastle suburbs undergoing character studies, there’s a greater demand for designs to be more in keeping with the predominant architectural style. The beauty of the Valley Series modular design means you can select a traditional front façade, a floor plan that suits your family and team it with one of our more contemporary alfresco designs.

It’s about what works for you

The Valley Series makes it easy to create a unique home design to match your lifestyle. By selecting your chosen floorplan with any of our front and rear façade options you can have a stunning, architecturally inspired home at an affordable price.

The Classic

The original floorplan in this modular series, The Classic provides all the essentials. As the name suggests – its a classic! At just under 270m2 this four bedroom home offers architectural passive design principles.

The Entertainer

Perhaps you and your family are big screen fans? The Entertainer is a design that offers everything you could want including a separate media room opening out to a private courtyard, a spacious open plan kitchen, dining and living area that spills out to an outdoor entertaining space with custom outdoor kitchen.

The Connoisseur

Fancy yourself as the next Masterchef? The Connoisseur is perfect for you! It’s the kitchen lover’s delight in this modular series. This design offers a large kitchen servery, an abundance of bench space and custom cabinetry to suit your culinary needs.  The design also includes the courtyard module as an extension to the separate living room – offering a second outdoor entertaining space to share your culinary creations.

The Sanctuary

If a parents’ retreat is a top priority in your new home then look no further than The Sanctuary. This design is the luxury lover’s choice within this modular series.  Like the Connoisseur, this design offers a large kitchen servery and an abundance of bench space plus a private courtyard off the master suite.  A sophisticated layout that offers you a place to relax and unwind.

The Executive

When working from home has become the norm, The Executive design offers a home office with private courtyard, contributing to a better work/life balance.

The Compact

The baby in this modular series and a great fit for first home buyers or investors. At just over 250m2 The Compact four bedroom home offers architectural passive design principles on a reduced scale to work on small blocks.

Quality and Affordable Innovation for all

Great design is a priority for Valley Homes but we appreciate that the cost to build a new home should be at a price that meets every budget. That’s why all our house plans and pricing have great appeal.

While the new Valley Series brings added flexibility to design, there’s no compromise on quality. After 50 years in the business, Valley Homes still promises excellent service and craftsmanship with every build. Speak with us about our house plans and pricing and let us help build a new home unique to you!