What to look for in terms of Design criteria for houses in Adelaide
Where possible the back of the house should be north facing to take advantage of the winter Sun.
Preferably windows should not face West. If west facing windows are required, these should be as small as possible to reduce heat ingress from afternoon sun.
House should be articulated with wall control joints above window and door heads to break up walls and minimise movement.
Brick Veneer walls are best suited to Adelaide conditions in terms of movement. Timber wall frames and plasterboard are highly flexible when compared to solid masonry.
An engineered floating floor slab over whole area of the house is the best way to ensure that the house has minimal movement. A floor slab post 1988 is generally engineered and has a much higher ability to resists ground heave movement when compared to a house with a concrete strip footing.
Houses on sloping sites often present additional structural challenges.
Large trees close to the houses can cause problems and often can’t be easily removed.
Caution required when contemplating houses in areas with highly reactive soils. Generally these are around the base of the foothills. ie Rostrevor, Mitcham, Campbelltown etc.
