Arrange indoor living and entertaining areas on the north side of the home where possible, with other rooms to the south. This will create warm and bright living areas in winter since north facing windows and walls receive maximum winter sun. The south side of the home receives a small amount of direct sun in summer, so by placing bedrooms to the south they'll be more comfortable for sleeping in summer.

Group rooms with similar uses together to create zones and use doors to separate these zones. This type of design is more energy efficient than open plan living because you can close off rooms which are cooled or heated from those that are not. If you still like the ambience of open plan living, consider using glass doors to separate zones.

Try to group the kitchen, laundry and bathroom together. These are the hot water using areas of the home and by grouping them together you'll minimise the need for long hot water pipes. This will reduce the amount of heat lost from the pipes and consequently your hot water use.