Kieran McCarthy: Does your home's design affect building costs?

This is an excellent question, and it brings to the surface many key design and budget considerations that may not be apparent at the start

Your living space will ideally be orientated with an amount of southerly aspect so you capture the sun for as much of the day as possible.

Hi Kieran 

My partner and I are building our new forever home on our site in the countryside. Is there much of a saving in building a rectangular shape as opposed to an L, T or U?