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General => Owner-Builder Projects => Topic started by: lipadier on February 01, 2009, 03:05:32 AM

Title: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 01, 2009, 03:05:32 AM
I placed my first project in the "Buildings under 200 sf" -thread http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=641.msg81326#new (http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=641.msg81326#new), but for the rest of my ideas and designs, I will use this thread here.

My second project: There are a lot of unused little barns in the lower swiss alps near were I live. This could be one of them. After renovation. It's my own little favourite of all my house designs to date. A tiny and simple shell. I could actually live in this all year round.

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/01/Grundrisse.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/01/Suedfassade.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/01/Nordfassade.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/01/Essen.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/01/Bad1.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/01/upwards.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/01/Bett.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/01/Treppe.jpg)

Having a normal spaced staircase even in a tiny house like this is important to me. I never liked the "ladder to the attic" solutions. For a weekend retreat yes, but for permanent residence, no. You should be able to walk safely to the upper floor with a tray in your hands full of breakfast for the yet sleeping mississ, without falling to your death during the process.  ;D

The furniture seen here is part of the actual furniture I have at my home.

Bring critique and suggestions.
More to come. Stay tuned.
Greetings, lipadier
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 01, 2009, 12:01:02 PM
Do they have handrail requirements there on the stairways, lipadier?   

I have a spiral with the steps unsupported except at the inboard side like your other design although we have the extension of the pivot pole to hang on to. 
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 01, 2009, 03:26:03 PM
You spotted the biggest flaw in this plan right away.  ;D

The swiss building laws are very strict, there is no way around a handrail. And so here goes the dilemma:
My home cinema layout as it looks today in my home and as it should look in this house. Nice.
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/01/Yes.jpg)

The same layout with the required hand rail. Oh dear.  ::)
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/01/No.jpg)

High-tech-solution-idea provided by my younger brother (he's an electrician): Electric motor out of an old hospital bed, connected to weight sensors under the bed. - Person on bed, visible part of handrail folds down flat, free view on the screen. - Person off bed, handrail folds up, safe passage downstairs. - Manual override buttons in case two persons are in the bed and only one steps out and goes down. ;D
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 01, 2009, 08:13:00 PM
The real and much easier solution: Drawing the stairs much more in to direction of the kitchen in the ground floor, and making the stairs a tad steeper, eliminating the screen blocking view of the handrail in the upper floor.
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/01/stairs.jpg)
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: soomb on February 02, 2009, 08:30:27 PM
What program did you use for the renderings?
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 03, 2009, 12:36:27 AM
It's the "Arcon" CAD Software. Bought it 11 years ago. At that time rendering or raytracing one image with a lot of visible and mirroring glass would take my old computer to it's knees and every time you clicked on the raytracing button the world time came to a standstill. But with my PC of today one picture is rendered in seconds. :D

The program has a lot of limits from today's view, there is no Anti-Aliasing hence the hard and pixeled lines, and difficult construction details are sometimes only possible with crafting, chaeating or lots of visible compromises.

Why I still use it? Because I designed a lot with it, and knowing every feature, I'm very very quick now, a new idea or project is drawn in no time. And thanks to the internet it's easy to update the furniture- and texture library for free.
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 03, 2009, 12:42:14 AM
I thought you were supposed to have some kind of a problem with English, lipadier.  You are no worse than the rest of us - and especially Homey... She's an English teacher and has fallen back into saying y'all. d*
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: Bishopknight on February 03, 2009, 10:58:31 AM
I like it. Good luck getting around the handrail regulation. Great CAD drawings, you're very talented.
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: Jens on February 03, 2009, 12:15:15 PM
Why would y'all find a problem with that?  Ain't nothing wrong with y'all, it's when you git to sayin you'ns that it becomes a problem.
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: ToddSInGA on February 03, 2009, 12:22:42 PM
Hi Lipadier,

These pictures and the layout are just AMAZING! Thanks for sharing  :)
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 03, 2009, 02:03:59 PM
Glenn, I don't understand what y'all are saying. ;D

Seriously: I learned english for myself in the last two years, watching movies, reading books and communicating in the net in this language. Beeing here on contryplans.com and not on a comparable german speaking "Swiss sheds and other vertical disasters" -board is part of my learning. I still need a dictionary on the side to look up some words, and there are still a lot of faults, but it comes better every day. But I still have to warn the english speaking folk after registering on a board like this to prevent the classic "Who's this? He can't even spell right. What an idiot!" -problem.  ;D

Todd: Thanks for the compliment. There is a lot more to come. The two projects shown here so far are at the "this is the today" situation. Meaning: I live alone, but have a weekend girfriend who comes up at Saturday and I still can kick her out after two days playing married couple. From the viewpoint of a man that's a very good way of life. But: My further projects shown here will be the next step: A home for two. And after that according to my girlfriend not far in the future a home for three. Or four. Or five. :o :-\ ;)
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 03, 2009, 02:24:34 PM
[shocked] [rofl2]
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: Redoverfarm on February 03, 2009, 02:50:25 PM
Quote from: Jens on February 03, 2009, 12:15:15 PM
Why would y'all find a problem with that?  Ain't nothing wrong with y'all, it's when you git to sayin you'ns that it becomes a problem.

Sounds like you have spent some time in the great state of PA.  I had a guy I had worked with.  It was just second nature for him to say it but of course he was born in PA.

lipadier If your speech is anything like your written words you would have no problem in fitting in the mainstream of the states.  Maybe not do you speak Mexican?
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 03, 2009, 11:46:18 PM
I would have a hard time learning a language like that - you are doing great.  I took some computer language training for France and refreshed an Spanish when going to Mexico.  Yo habla un poco espanol o mexicano.
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 04, 2009, 07:35:28 PM
My third project: A little cosy house for the two of us. The space under the stairs could be a storage room for garden tools or firewood, accessible from the outside.

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/04/Grundriss_EG.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/04/Grundriss_OG.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/04/Suedostfassaden.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/04/Suedwestfassaden.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/04/Draufsicht_OG.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/04/K%C3%BCche.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/04/Wohnen1.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/05/day.jpg)


Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 16, 2009, 09:07:41 AM
Another tiny house, this time something different, because the design is not mine, but straightforward stolen ahem remotly inspired from the "bolt together cabin" I saw in this thread two days ago: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=6331.msg82879#msg82879

The orginal:
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/16/SnowySmithCabin.jpg)

I've taken the basic ground floorplan of that house, enlarged it a bit and mixed it with my usual personal requirements for a tiny house: All year round habitable, staircase and kitchen and bathroom have to be decent sized. No crawl spaces allowed.

Meter:Foot - 1:3

Ground floor
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/16/EG.jpg)

Upper floor
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/16/OG.jpg)

West facade
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/16/Westfassade.jpg)

South facade
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/16/Suedfassade.jpg)

Kitchen/Living room
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/16/K%C3%BCche.jpg)

View from the kitchen
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/16/Wohnen.jpg)

Upper floor bedroom
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/16/Schlafen.jpg)
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: ScottA on February 16, 2009, 01:05:14 PM
Very cool designs.
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: considerations on February 18, 2009, 10:39:08 AM
Wow, I really enjoy your designs.  I have lots of books though, and would have to push the walls out a little to get floor to ceiling bookshelves incorporated.  The wood stoves you use are fascinating, do they resemble or illustrate stove that are available to you?   
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: soomb on February 18, 2009, 01:21:29 PM
stove looks like a Rais
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: John Raabe on February 18, 2009, 01:22:47 PM
Very nice work Lipadier :D

You have some very usable small cabins there. The second one is my personal favorite. Using this layout for the 14x24 Little House plans (but going two story) would seem positively spacious. Easy to build too (which can't be said for the Bolt House I'm afraid).

John
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: soomb on February 18, 2009, 01:30:47 PM
John, do you have information on bolt houses that have been built?  You mention that they are not easy to build amd I am surprised as I hoped they were.  Any and all information would be appreciated.
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 22, 2009, 09:56:10 AM
What!? Those bolt together houses are not easy to build?
"B... but...but... it looked soo easy in the brochure." :-\ ;)

Anyway, still clinging to my bathtub, normal sized stairs, no bang-your-head-on-the-rafters-1.5-story and all the other stuff seen in this thread, I came up with another tiny house I could live with. And in. It's around "12x16" in your currency. ;D

I used some plaster textures on the walls this time for variation, hence the somewhat more modern look of this house compared to my other designs. And I got quite carried away with expensive furniture, but hey it costs nothing... ahem... at least in the CAD-world. ;D

Ground floor with kitchen and living room
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/22/EG.jpg)

Upper floor with bathroom and bedroom
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/22/OG.jpg)

South and west facade
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/22/Southwest.jpg)

South and east facade
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/22/Southeast.jpg)

Tiny and somewhat cute kitchen, but still with enough storage space for a man and his tools.
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/22/Kitchen.jpg)

Living room, I included the consideration of a big bookshelf for considerations... and my own books. ;D
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/22/Livingroom.jpg)
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: John Raabe on February 22, 2009, 12:02:24 PM
The Bolt Together house does not use standard building techniques but relies on you being able to construct precision stress skin structural panels at home and then transport and assemble them on site to close tolerances. It is really a factory level design that has not been tested or engineered for the critical interactions between the panels and the framing system. I'm sure there are careful very experienced builders who could use the system in the plans to build a safe and sturdy house.

However, this is not for low skill owner-builders. Also, you would face a huge engineering challenge if this were built in a code area with a careful building inspector. Not only would the structural system have to be engineered, you would have to bring the panels up to energy code standards.

It would probably be easier to build a version of it with SIPS panels if you could find a company willing to take on the engineering.

While this was a popular idea from the 1970's and thousands of copies of the Family Circle plans were sold, it would be interesting to see how many were actually built and how they have survived. I do not have that information.

A Google search on "bolt together house or cabin" only comes up with articles from CountryPlans or PlanHelp, plus someone who copied my PDF and used it on their own adwords page.  >:(

Where are all those old cabins?
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 22, 2009, 03:21:40 PM
Thanks for the information, John. So the bolt house goes into the same 1970's corner as the Bede BD5-Jet: Wow-factor very high, but even more higher was the requirement of skills to build the thing into the real world.

I can see the local building inspector looking at the bolt house plans: "That's not a house. It's not even a shed. It's only a cute tent with frozen walls."  ;D

Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: MountainDon on February 22, 2009, 03:49:42 PM
Quote from: John Raabe on February 22, 2009, 12:02:24 PM
A Google search on "bolt together house or cabin" only comes up with articles from CountryPlans or PlanHelp, plus someone who copied my PDF and used it on their own adwords page.  >:(


More disturbing than the copying of info is that those other guys have used a direct link to countryplans download site. Every time someone clicks the bandwidth is yours. If that's a concern changing the link would defeat them.   :-\
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 22, 2009, 09:02:19 PM
Update of the same house as above, but now with the classic DIY looks and real world windows layout. And I can't get away from my favourite wood texture. ;D

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/22/Southwest_000.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/22/Living_room.jpg)
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: considerations on February 23, 2009, 05:50:18 PM
"I included the consideration of a big bookshelf for considerations... and my own books. Grin"

Now you're smokin!  [cool]   

I'd love to have a whole library, but I don't allow myself to think that far ahead.   :-\

Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: soomb on February 24, 2009, 12:21:15 AM
Despite the issues pointed out with the bolt-together, I still like it and look forward to NMShooter hopefully getting a hold of more photos of the one built in his community in NM.  I can't help myself, so I may just have to buy the plans and try it out someday.  Based on the posts I will know to be very precise when the time comes and do what my dad calls "view".. that is what he tells mom anytime he is caught just standing there during a project.  "view" does work and I have seen it keep the "oh sh!t" moments to a minimum.  Thanks for all the input on the bolt-together.
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 28, 2009, 12:20:38 AM
Another one: This tiny 1-person-home has only the same footprint as a single car parking space, that's around 7.5 x 15, the whole house has only 225 sq ft. As usual in my designs, storage space comes in form of drawers underneath most of the stair treads.

Ground floor with entrance, kitchen and dining room
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/27/EG.jpg)

Lower floor with bathroom and bedroom
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/27/UG.jpg)

South and east facades
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/28/South_east_facade.jpg)

North and west facades
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/28/North_west_facade.jpg)

Bathroom and bedroom downstairs
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/28/UG2.jpg)

Dining room
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/28/Living_room.jpg)

Kitchen
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/28/Kitchen.jpg)
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 28, 2009, 02:58:07 PM
Update: The same tiny house layout as above, but I made some changes to it:

The entrance door is now on the west side. The lower half of the house (concrete) and the earth moving stuff could/should be done by professionals, but after that the upper part and the monopitch roof could be build up by the owner himself.

Mounting the solar panels under the windows and not on the roof makes it much more easy for cleaning them and keeping them snowfree.

South and west facades
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/28/South_west.jpg)

South and east facades
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/28/South_east.jpg)

And the updated interiour in the living room: Much better now, I think.
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/28/Wohnen.jpg)
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: Redoverfarm on February 28, 2009, 03:40:18 PM
lipadier just a casual obersavtion of your plans.  It would appear to me that a shower (36") stall would make more use of the space rather than a tub.  There is even the combination tub/shower versons that are a little shorter than the standard 5' tub. 
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 28, 2009, 04:06:10 PM
Only a shower? Or one of these short sit-in tubs? Me? No way. Even If I would only build a 10x10 cabin made out of old cardboard boxes, you would see a 6' long bathtub built in there. ;D




Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 28, 2009, 05:27:15 PM
Simple solution: Bathtub halfway under the stairs. Voila, more space in the bathroom:
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/02/28/Bath.jpg)
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 28, 2009, 06:31:33 PM
And finally, after moving in...  ;)
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/03/01/living.jpg)
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on March 07, 2009, 02:54:12 PM
The next step:
Still the same house layout as above, but now I made it a bit larger, the house has now more storage space in the living room and a larger bedroom. There is now a small service room for the house technics above the stairs and a small non-insulated storage shed attached outside for garden tools and the bicycle:

South facade
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/03/07/Southeast.jpg)

South and west facades
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/03/07/Southwest.jpg)

Ground floor
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/03/07/EG.jpg)

Basement
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/03/07/UG.jpg)

Bathroom
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/03/07/Bathroom.jpg)

Bedroom
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/03/07/Bedroom.jpg)

Kitchen
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/03/07/Wohnen2_nacht.jpg)

Living room
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/03/07/Wohnen1.jpg)[/url]
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on July 07, 2009, 05:01:48 AM
For Dan Parker

Here are the floor plans from my first project from the ""under 200 sq. ft." -thread posted but now a bit larger. That's all my old CAD programm can manage. The measurement are in centimeters and meters. You have to to your own calculations from that on.

Dan, bare in mind that my projects are only simple I-have-an-idea-for-a-small-house drawings without any consideration for building regulations and statics.

But If you actually build something that's loosely based on one of my drawings, I will be very pleased. :D

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/07/07/ground_floor.jpg)

(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/07/07/upper_floor.jpg)

Greetings, lipadier
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on December 29, 2009, 04:34:00 PM
Had another go today at the "how much space do you really need?" question, and came up with another design.
It's a simple and tiny little home, with the outside measurements of around 12x15 ft:
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/12/29/1_oben.jpg)

(the car is there for size comparison)
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/12/29/2_south.jpg)

Ground floor layout
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/12/29/3_ground_floor.jpg)

Upper floor layout
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/12/29/4_upper_floor.jpg)

Fireplace in the center of the stairs, the door on the left is the toilet door:
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/12/29/5_fireplace.jpg)

Dining:
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/12/29/6_dining.jpg)

Bedroom with shower cubicle and wardrobes:
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/12/29/7_shower.jpg)

Work in progress...
Greetings, lipadier
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: IronRanger on December 30, 2009, 03:35:32 PM
Thanks, lipadier.  I always look forward to your new floorplans.

Did you play with the idea of the shower on the first floor and move the toilet/sink upstairs?

We live a similar lifestyle- my bedroom's where I spend most of my time.  I leave it to use the bathroom, cook and visit with company.

I've been wavering between plans for a small two-story and an earth-sheltered home.  Budget and permitting will dictate which route I take and it's still 3-5 years before I'll begin my project, but I like to play around with the floorplans anyways.
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on December 30, 2009, 04:07:22 PM
That's an interesting idea with the exchange between toilet stall and shower in this particular house. Sure enough placing the shower on the ground floor (where it could simply be hidden behind a courtain) would free up more space for another kitchen part, or the possibility of building the entrance door in the other side, leaving space for a longer table or some shelf furniture.

I think I will play with this on the plans. Thanks for the idea.  [cool]
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: IronRanger on December 30, 2009, 04:24:13 PM
It's too bad there isn't a shower with swing-out shelving.  Maybe an RV site would have something like this.  The idea of it might disgust some people though.   :)

QuoteThanks for the idea.

I don't know how much you should thank me, you've been doing all the work.    ;)

Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on December 30, 2009, 05:51:18 PM
Here we go:

Shower on the ground floor, entrance on the other side, kitchen not so cramped anymore. A lot better.
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/12/30/fireplaceshower.jpg)

Toilet cubicle on the upper floor, doesn't interfere, it even makes the bedroom more cosy.
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2009/12/30/bedroomtoilet.jpg)

Win-Win, thanks. ;D
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: cmkavala on February 20, 2010, 06:15:14 AM
it is possible to narrow the width of stairs to 2 ft and still meet code
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: soomb on February 20, 2010, 08:48:17 AM
Do you think 2 people would be the maximum for comfort in this design?
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: MountainDon on February 20, 2010, 10:42:40 AM
Quote from: cmkavala on February 20, 2010, 06:15:14 AM
it is possible to narrow the width of stairs to 2 ft and still meet code

In a word, No.   Code usually calls for 36" wide stairways, with a maximum rise of 7 3/4 and a minimum tread depth of 10 inches. There are other details to be concerned with as well. Check section R311.5 of the IRC.

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=6224.msg81129#msg81129

Also this topic    http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=904.0
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: psammy on February 20, 2010, 02:10:39 PM
Obviously a 2 ft. wide stair does not meet code in the strictest interpretation, but neither do the winders as shown.  A better question would be how flexible is the local code enforcement on the issue of stairs for such a low occupancy structure? 

BTW, lipadier, I REALLY like your design THREE!  It really seems to strike a balance on size.  It has a nice sitting area with the stove, a place for a 4 person table, and a decent kitchen prep area.  Upstairs, a nice-sized BR and full-functioned bath.....really a home run!  Built over a basement or a high crawl for any mechanicals and some storage would make this very livable for one or even a couple.

psammy
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on February 20, 2010, 03:12:20 PM
Quote from: soomb on February 20, 2010, 08:48:17 AM
Do you think 2 people would be the maximum for comfort in this design?
No. This is a one man house, atleast in this size. But as with most of my small home designs I first draw the layout as tiny as possible and then later I make a larger version of the same house too. I will upload some renderings of the design above in enlarged size soon. 

Greetings, lip
BTW, thanks for the compliments.
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: Onkeludo2 on March 14, 2010, 01:27:39 AM
lipadier:  Wow, I love the designs.  Where are you in Switzerland?  I did a Practicum in Schaan (I know it is not Switzerland) and spent a lot of time in towns around the Liechtenstein border.

Two things I find amazing beyond the design:

Someone from Switzerland who is obviously not a builder by trade (I am assuming) considering building their own house.  Granted, I worked in the engineering department but I found almost all Germans, Swiss and Austrians that I worked with and socialized with the be EXTREME specialist.  The idea of a computer nerd repairing his car or an Engineer doing interior carpentry was insane.  I realize most of the folks on this website have had coworkers or friends say they were crazy to build house but over there, they truly would have wondered if you were stable!  They always loved calling the Americans "cowboys" because we would do first and think after.

I still remember the reaction of one of my coworkers when I fixed his 6-day-old BMW in the parking lot at the local pub.  It was nothing more than a loose battery cable and the BMW came with the tools right there in the trunk, but you would have thought I had turned water into wine.

The second thing is that it appears you are considering wood construction.  I do not know how many jokes I had to hear from the boys in the pub about the inferiority of wood construction in America.  Granted, simple homes in the valleys were built with the concrete block, insulation and then concrete panel construction that was truly bullet-proof but everything took forever to build at a cost that would stagger most Americans.  4" thick concrete floors were nice with the hydronic slabs.

So I guess my hat is off to you for being a free-thinker in a land of rigid specialization.  I look forward to you having great success!

Mike

PS: I do not intend to insult any of the German speaking people of the world with my above comments.  Some of my most memorable times where during my year as an exchange student in Arnsberg, Germany, my three months in Cologne and my year in Schaan, Liechtenstein.  Many Germans/Swiss/Austrians are slow to warm up, but would do anything for you once you are taken into the fold.  A round or two of beer usually breaks the ice!
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on March 14, 2010, 09:36:32 AM
Mike:
I live at the swiss side of Lake Constance, but I actually work in Buchs, Switzerland, which as you probably know is next to Schaan, Liechtenstein. - It's a small world. 

Now, about what you said the swiss beiing boring regulation freaks. - Well, that's true, for sure. ;D

And about those jokes about flimsy US houses. - That one comes because the only time when we see US homes in the news it's mostly after some midwest hurricane has reduced some of them to heaps of splinters. Mix that with the usual generalisation, (and the lack of knowledge about how strong these hurricanes really are) and voila, for most europeans it looks like all US houses are only made out of white-painted tinker-wood. - But hey, we love our tunnel-sighted prejudices as much as everyone else. ;)

Greetings
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: Onkeludo2 on March 14, 2010, 11:19:46 PM
lipadier:  Good old Buchs.  I did most of my shopping there and had friends who lived in the tiny towns around it.

Out of curiousity, will you be allowed to purchase land or do you end up with a 99-year lease like an "Auslander" is given?  How many hundreds of documents will you have to take to dozens of offices to get thousands of stamps if you choose to build?  Love those stamps...and the bureaucrats that use them. d*

How difficult will it be to purchase building supplies that are more complicated or specialized than those in the DIY stores?  As an example, we had difficulty buying some of the propane and electrical supplies we needed to build a small home brewery in Austria because we did not have gas-fitters license or an electricians license.  It was easier for me to order them from the 'States.

Regarding the tunnel vision and prejudices, you are spot on!  I was guilty of them even though I had lived in Germany in the past.  I thought, how different can Switzerland be?  They are less than 7 hours away from my old home and they share a language.  Oh, how wrong I was.  The Swiss my share a written language (almost) with the Germans and Austrians but your spoken language is from another planet!

Keep up the great work and let me know if you need labor help building one of these designs.  It would be a great excuse to visit old friends in Feldkirch, Austria when I have one of my R&R's.

Mike

Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: tinysteve on April 01, 2010, 07:30:43 PM
Lipadier, do you still visit this forum?
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: tinysteve on May 02, 2010, 07:07:47 PM
Hello Lipadier, please follow the link to see my idea for a small sustainable home in the UK. It will not be connected to mains supply in any way - all power will be generated and stored in batteries, and water will be recycled and collected (the UK is very wet!) in a water tower, the top of the tower will be my wind turbine.
I have the opportunity to buy some land soon so I'm playing with ideas. If you could 3D model this for me I'd be very grateful.
http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=8718.msg112951#msg112951
I have Adobe Illustrator files if you prefer - let me know and I'll email them to you.

Cheers, Steve
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on May 03, 2010, 11:30:58 PM
I will do some 3D renderings in the next days.
Very interesting and unusual floor plans. Absolutely tiny.

Greetings
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: lipadier on May 07, 2010, 09:01:53 PM
Steve
Finally I've had the time to have a go at your house plans.

Here is a rudimentary ground floor plan I just made up from your picture.
(http://pic.phyrefile.com/l/li/lipadier/2010/05/07/Steve.jpg) (http://img.phyrefile.com/lipadier/2010/05/07/Steve.jpg)
The witdh of the staircase is 80cm (31.5inches)

At this stage before I go 3D you can correct the measures if you wish. Since my measures are in cm this will help: http://manuelsweb.com/in_cm.htm (http://manuelsweb.com/in_cm.htm)

Greetings
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: tinysteve on June 30, 2010, 10:42:36 AM
Hello Lipadier, sorry I've taken so long to reply!

Your plans look great and nearly spot on. Please go ahead and render in 3D - I can't wait to see what it would look like full textured, perhaps also with a human figure so I can properly judge the scale.

Thanks very much in advance!
Steve
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: Natalie on January 03, 2014, 09:54:25 AM
I return to this thread often, and now I cannot see the renderings anymore. Does anyone know if they live in another location on the internet?
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: MountainDon on January 03, 2014, 03:22:48 PM
Quote from: Natalie on January 03, 2014, 09:54:25 AM
I return to this thread often, and now I cannot see the renderings anymore. Does anyone know if they live in another location on the internet?

No idea. But it looks like the hosting site (where the pictures were located) is not there anymore.
Title: Re: lipadier's house designs
Post by: Natalie on January 24, 2014, 07:09:43 AM
Such a shame. I should have taken screen captures.