The Design Ideas

The concept behind the design is to build the house only as big as it needs to be to remain livable. Some people will argue that "livable" needs to be 10,000 square feet. That's fine for them, but for me, I don't see the need for that much space.

I really like the concept of "micro-houses" or "tiny-homes." But, I think they missed something simple, the houses I have seen do a great job at showing people you don't have to build thousands of square feet to have everything you need under one roof. I think if you take the mirco-house concept, and marry it to the design of some of the homes in Hawaii or Honduras by using the outdoors as living space you wouldn't look like you're living in a tool shed.

Each area of the country has to deal with different weather factors so there's no "perfect" design for all climates. Here in Florida, (before the real estate boom) people use to build smaller homes and then wrap them with a porch or sun-rooms. Their taxes were based on the part of the house that had A/C, but after you open a set of large sliding patio doors your living room area doubled. Down side being that it gets very hot in the sun-rooms, and your A/C unit has to work extra hard to cool all that extra space. Not as big of a deal if you plan ahead when installing the HVAC system.

I like the way the Hawaiians take advantage of their weather by not using A/C, they have the bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen under the roof of the "house", but again by opening up doors and windows they use the patios or deck space as their living room.

From what I have seen, the design isn't limited to warm weather areas. I have seen with a little planning, using passive solar heat in the form of a sun-room in a cold weather climate allows an "outdoor" space to be used in the middle of a Colorado winter. And there's something to be said about outdoor fireplaces too! Not a bad way to spend an evening with a loved one on a cool mountain evening.

So the basic design I am leaning towards is a small, single level, open floor plan, timber-frame (hybrid) living area with two bedrooms, and wrapping most of the house with an enclosed porch. I know the extra windows add a lot of cost, but the benefit would be the porch area is space I don't have to heat or cool every day, but if I need the extra space, I'll be able to open up the main living area.

Plus, from the houses I have seen where people are living in cold climates and were using passive solar, building the "outdoor space" with concrete, brick, or stone stored the heat through-out the day, and used it to radiate back into the home at night. One thing some people didn't count on, was that solar space took the brunt of the cold wind / weather, so their "exterior" walls didn't need to work so hard to keep the house warm in freezing weather. Some commented on how they could sit in the porch area in the middle of winter on a sunny day and be very comfortable.

As time goes on I will refine my house design based on what area of the country I end up choosing. The design I would use in Colorado is completely different from what I am thinking about if I stay in the southeast. But I do know whatever I build, it's not going to be more then 1000 sq ft. Realistically it'll be around 650-700 sq ft, not including the porch area.

I will add updates to the design as time goes on and add details on the different materials I am building with.

Location, Location, Location

The one thing I have going for me when it comes to this build is I travel for work, so I don't need to be located in any one town or by an airport, etc. Of course I have locations I would prefer, but if there is a location that has a greater benefits I will look into just about anywhere.

Some of the areas or towns that are making my short list;

1) The general north to south area from Casper,WY to the Boulder,CO area.
And from a little west of Rocky Mtn Nat. Park, to just about I-25 in Colorado
2) Parts of Oklahoma
3) The Smokey Mtn Nat. Park area, prefer the NC. side, maybe to the south of Hendersonville,NC.
4) Still haven't ruled out states like Northern Wisconsin, (great wooded lots, cheaper prices, but out of the way for travel, short building season) or Iowa (good central locations for Interstate travel, but shorter building season.)

Some of the factors that I use to rate a location are;
1) I work mostly in the summer, so I will be building mostly in the fall / winter.
2) Price, taxes, etc
3) Building code,
4) Location of building supplies, etc.
5) Resale value

The List Keeps Growing

Since I am on such I tight budget for this build, I have tried to think of most of the steps involved and get a basic idea of the cost. Some of the steps I have been looking into include;

Location, Land purchase
Design
Site work
Building Permits
Well - drill
Septic system
Electric - Solar & Wind
Foundation
Timber-frame (hybrid) packages
Insulation - many different options
Roofing - SIP panels, faux slate shingles
Walls - SIPs or stick framing
Siding -
Windows -
Plumbing - Pex tubing, solar heater or LP Gas / Tankless
Toilets - composting, low or no water systems
HVAC - radiant floor heat

Interior items
Flooring - concrete, bamboo, ???
Wall finishes - ???
Cabinets -
Appliances -
Lighting -
Furniture -

My dream turns into My Jounrey

The dream has been to build a small Timber-Frame house off the grid by myself. The plan is to build this home with a small foot-print and as Eco-friendly as possible. Like so many other people these days, money is very tight so the small foot-print of this home serves many functions. One, I need to build small to fit my budget. Two, it has to be a size that I can build in a reasonable time frame by myself or with minimal help. Three, I want to show people that you don't need to build big to have something nice. And Four, I would like to build it to LEED standards, making a small impact on the environment and resources.


Like so many others, for years I have viewed websites, read books or magazines, clipped out ideas for floor plans, products, or locations. When I travel I am always looking and thinking "this would be a great place to build," but the years go by and the house has remained just "A Dream."


Time to turn this Dream into reality!