I’m very appreciative of the resources here. I’ve read through many, many postings and while I followed along I became a little stumped with the northern to southern variances in requirements/techniques. I’m in the very early stages of planning an owner-builder home under contractor supervision.

I’m in zone 2A outside of Austin, Texas and prefer to have the majority of my ducks in a row before seeking out an architect/contractor and avoid being persuaded into something I don’t know about or wouldn’t want.

My end goal is to insulate a 600sqft Tudor style home to balance out central cooling and radiant slab heating needs. I want to be independent on solar energy if at possible so it will scale with the finality of insulation. Passive heating doesn’t really fit within the design aesthetic I’m looking to create. Though, triple glaze windows are absolutely in the plan for cooling needs with landscape and light color roofing to assist.

After everything I looked at with all the different techniques I realized some might not be suitable for my climate zone (2A). So far I’ve noted to keep the cooling system within the living space. Insulate the slab for radiant heating. Seal the walls and roof very well and properly vent. I image the attic would remain unconditioned with some deep depths of cellulose. Being in an attic in a Texas summer is not on my bucket list of adventures so access can remain outside the living space.

Where is the balance between insulation thickness and the various types while conserving as much living space as possible for zone 2A? I’m not cost sensitive but I also don’t want to waste money for a negligible gain. Nor am I sensitive to perceived toxicity of building materials. I really just want what works; but I think a 16-inch wall of rigid foam would look a little on the “chubby” side for such a small space. I apologize if this has already been answered, I missed it. Thank you!