A house designed to sit along the street, not tucked behind it.
Wide shallow blocks, roughly 18 to 24 metres wide and 25 to 32 metres deep, are common in Sydney's post-war and Western Sydney subdivisions. A well-designed single-level Passivhaus on a wide shallow block can outperform a two-storey build on a conventional lot, with better orientation, simpler massing, and lower running costs.
Review your blockWide shallow blocks give you things narrow lots can't.
Better solar access
A wide-fronted home can place living areas along the preferred solar aspect without running into side-boundary setback rules. That improves both passive-solar performance and PV orientation. The opposite problem, lots of depth but little width, is covered on our narrow lot home builder page.
Simpler massing
A single-level Passivhaus has a much simpler envelope geometry than a two-storey form. Fewer junctions, fewer potential thermal bridges, simpler detailing.
Planting as thermal asset
A deeper front and rear setback gives room for deciduous planting that helps summer-shade the facade and thermal-mass landscaping on the west.
Three layouts we design repeatedly.
A linear plan running parallel to the street. Living north-facing, bedrooms along the south side.
Two wings bridged by a central living spine. An internal courtyard captures northern sun.
Main house plus detached guest or studio pavilion on the rear third. Well suited to larger wide-shallow blocks.
Frequently asked
- Roughly: width greater than depth, most commonly 18 to 24 metres wide by 25 to 32 metres deep. Post-war Sydney subdivisions and parts of Western Sydney have these shapes in volume.
Share the DP number or survey.
Send us the block and your intent. We will suggest a typology and give you a rate range within five working days.