Site Use
Considering how a building and site impact on each other, enhancing energy efficiency, comfort and convenience.
Locating Outdoor Site Features
As well as considering the location of a home on the site, its also important to consider early in the planning stage other aspects of site use such as indoor/outdoor flow, and the location of garages and vehicle access.
Indoor/outdoor flow
Outdoor living spaces such as decks, terraces and barbecue areas should be seamlessly incorporated into the plan by being considered at the preliminary design stages of a building project. Aspects to consider include:
- Sun outdoor areas should be located to provide shade in the summer months and maximise sun in the winter months, which means they should generally be north or west facing. Verandahs, pergolas, retractable and fixed awnings, shadesails, and adjustable louvres can provide shade against midday sun. An east-facing deck or patio can provide a sunny breakfast/morning outdoor area, and may then provide shade later in the day.
- Wind shelter from the wind may be achieved by locating an outdoor area on the lee side of the building, or by fencing or screens. As wind does not come from a single direction, create a range of spaces that can provide shelter under differing wind conditions. Planting, either planned or existing established trees and shrubs, will also provide some shelter from wind. A garage does not need sun so may be used to provide protection from a cold (southerly) wind.
- View the direction of the view may be in conflict with outdoor area locations for sun. Two or more areas may be required to take advantage of both.
- Privacy the design should incorporate areas that give some privacy from the public or from adjacent sites for the owners, while maintaining good exposure to sun. Northern entry sites can present a problem as the sunny outdoor area is located between the house and the street. A long back yard to ensure sunlight to the rear of the site, or a building layout with a projecting living area to catch the sun, may provide effective solutions.
- Locating outdoor living areas
Outdoor living areas should be located for sun, privacy and views, and to avoid wind.
Garages
Garages may be attached to the house or constructed separately (with covered access to the home).
One design option if space permits is to set garages approximately 6 m back from the front boundary of houses built onto street frontage. Putting the garage at the rear of the site increases the space taken up with driveways and makes the site less safe, particularly for children and pets. A long driveway can also increase stormwater runoff.
- Vehicle turning areas
If the garage must be at the rear of the site, providing an adequate vehicle turning area means that vehicles do not need to back out of the site.
- Garages on the street frontage
The garage can be set back from the face of the house so it does not dominate the street scene. A vehicle access area that is fenced off from the rest of the site will help to keep children safe.
A garage located near the street frontage may require a resource consent, in which case landscaping along the road front boundary may also be required. Regardless of whether or not a resource consent is required, planting can be used to provide a screen and soften the impact of the garage on the streetscape.
Driveway access
Most district plans require the provision of some off-street parking for vehicles, regardless of zoning. You should check at the preliminary design stage about off-street parking requirements.
Access to the site will be determined by the garage or car parking location relative to the street, as well as the shape and topography of the site. Driveways should:
- use a single vehicle access point to minimise the impact on the site each district has its own rules regarding the number of driveways, width of access at street frontage, distance from intersections, and maximum permissible gradients
- meet the slope requirements of the local council
- be kept as short as possible to minimise the impact on the site or planting this may not be possible on steep sites where the shape and location of the driveway may be determined by the maximum permissible gradient
- be located away from bedrooms and living areas to minimise noise
- be away from and if possible fenced off from outdoor living and play areas
- where pedestrian and vehicular access onto a site is shared, provide safe pedestrian access by clearly defining a footpath using a kerb can clarify the separation.