Octagon house plans?

Started by John_C, March 27, 2007, 07:16:59 PM

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John_C

In my seemingly never ending search for a house plan that suits me I came across a floor plan for an octagon house that I liked.


Does anyone know of any online examples of 850 to 950 sq ft octagon houses that show some framing details for a post and pier foundation?  I would have assumed one of the  .edu web sites would have something but I haven't come across anything yet.

glenn kangiser

I would think you may have to do a bit of improvising there.  Yurts are sometimes octagon or similar.

Seems like a lot of work to make one  - lots of angles etc. but if that's what you want it's what you want. :)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

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MountainDon

#2
I don't have a plan or source of plans for an octagonal home, but strangely enough we saw a built one today.  We'd driven up to the mountains to see how the snow melting was doing. We got up to about 8200 feet slogging through several stretches of 12 inch deep snow on the north facing side of the grades when we were halted by a 3 ft snowdrift. A hike up the road showed it was senseless to try to make our way further.

So back to the topic.... We decided to wander around some of the lower elevations roads we had not explored. We came across the below pictured octagonal cabin in a small subdivision. It was cool so I snapped a photo. It was hard to find the right angle, there were so many of them.  :) Lots of trees in the way, too.  Lighting was a bit contrasty so it's not the best.

Sitting in the trees eating lunch 7 or 8 elk passed by about 100 feet away. Way cool. Why does that never happen in the fall?

Also see
http://www.westhomeplanners.com/house-plans/398.html

http://www.architecturaldesigns.com/vacation-home-plan-5831y.asp#d
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

MountainDon

#3
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

John_C

There is a builder in my town who used to build prefab octagon homes.  8 or 10 years ago he changed to doing only log/log sided homes and only two sizes of those.  He stays busy enough with those.   I stopped by yesterday and they didn't want to talk about the octagon houses.  They handed me a sheet of their current offering and that was it.

This would suit me nicely



John's Victoria has been the bane of my existence since I saw it.  I LOVE that house.  But one of the primary reasons to build another house is to get rid of stairs. Years ago I broke my back, and 11 months ago I fell off my bicycle and broke my hip.  I have recovered well enough and I am back to my 75 hilly miles a week on the bike, but I have had enough with tall ladders and stairs.  I live out in the woods with a few other homes around me.  When I fell off my bike it was 45 min. before anyone found me laying in the middle of the road.  In the woods, at the new house site it would likely be a question of which critters found me first.  

I started out wanting to do a Frank Lloyd Wright type house.  My local building department is not going to let that happen without an engineer and/or an architect being involved.  A few threads here have led me to question the viability of the 1-man owner builder flat roof as well.  I think the octagon house would nestle nicely in the stand of oak and maple trees that is my new site.  I'd like to do a post and pier foundation to avoid cutting the trees that would be required for concrete truck access.  I looked into concrete pumps, long chutes etc.  but none of that is available locally.  

That's my current thinking subject to change at any time. :)


littledog

Hey there, I am new to the forum and saw your request for octagonal house plans.  I happened to have a small list of them.  I am not sure if you would be able to use any of the available info on the sites without actually buying the plans but they can still be helpful.  Hope this helps.  

http://www.balewatch.com
http://www.deltechomes.com/floorplans.php?model=500-1
There are also a couple of solid yurt type house plan companies out there.  Deltec is a modular house company.  I don't really like the overall look of the homes but the layouts can look pretty cool.  Anyway good luck.
 

glenn kangiser

There is a lady with a Deltec here and she loves it, but it seems to be a bit more round than octagonal.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

MountainDon

#7
Quote...but it seems to be a bit more round than octagonal.
That may be because it could be something other than an octogon. I had a quick look at Deltec's site and noted that one was a decagon (10 sides), and another a dodecagon (12 sides). I didn't look at any more than that...

See   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygon   for names of polygons
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

John_C

#8
dodecagon (12 sides)   Build it??  I can't even pronounce it! :-/


bayview

#9
   Here is a six sided cabin I had drawn up years ago . . . Add proper windows to the study and living room.  Maybe pocket doors in study.

Many octogan homes here - www.topsider.com
    . . . said the focus was safety, not filling town coffers with permit money . . .

desdawg

I am curious to ask why the fascination with an octagon? It would seem lots more complicated to build, difficult to furnish, etc. What would be the advantages other than the uniqueness?
I have done so much with so little for so long that today I can do almost anything with absolutely nothing.

John_C

I don't know that I have a particular fascination with octagon houses in general.  I found the floor plan I posted and it seemed it would fit well in the new house site. I'd like it to just blend into the woods.  The individual walls are less than 14 feet so one person can tip them up.   The hip rafters are 22 feet long so they are off the shelf items from local suppliers.  The low eaves and 4/12 pitch would make roofing somewhat easier for a 1 man crew.   I built wooden boats for about 15 years so the angles don't bother me too much.  Furnishings might be a problem but I'm planning on as many built ins as possible.

I haven't been able to find or draw a conventional low slope roof that looks good to my eye.  I increase the roof pitch till it looks good and then there is that space that would be useable if you just raised the walls a bit.  It's a vicious cycle that ends with me on a ladder wrestling with heavy stuff.  I think the Victoria plan is superb, but I don't care to be up that high anymore.  

I like the octagon floor plan but I haven't made any decision yet, and I'm open to suggestions.  I've kicked around the dogtrot plan Mark did as well as various combinations of the Enchilada plan.  I want to be building this summer so I need to make a decision soon.
 

littledog

In the book "Home Work" by Lloyd Khan there are a couple of really sweet examples of octagon houses.  I was fascinated by round, octagon, multi-sided homes.  One was I read that you get more actual usable space per square foot as aposed to a square floor plan.  The factors that turned me off to it?  My wife first of all.  And second, many of the friends I have that are building their own houses said that the further you get from standard sizes and shapes the more $$ you are looking at.  Now I am sure that with a creative enough approach and a strong drive to do something different this wouldn't be a problem.  But the project I have in mind is going to be built by the seat of my pants and that isn't going to leave much room for me to experiment.  I was really leaning toward the Victoria plan at first. But then I consulted my site and found it wouldn't lend itself to an optimum solar orientation on my site.  So now I am looking to modify the universal 20x30 plan, which I am sure I will be posting here soon.  

glenn kangiser

BTW Welcome to the forum, littledog.  Kahn's book is a great one.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.


jwv

I wanted to build an octagon but-even tho those types of shapes (round, octagon, etc) are more efficient use of space and probably stronger, the buidling dept can only see squares and rectangles.  I really like a few of the BaleWatch designs.

Cool, tho.   Here's a good depiction of a reciprocal roof.  http://www.twistedroad.com/Reciprocal_Roof/reciprocal_roof.htm

Judy
http://strawbaleredux.blogspot.com/

"One must have chaos in one's self to give birth to the dancing star" ~Neitszche

timby

#15
John_C

If you're not sold on octagon style homes, I have a copy of a very popular home plan from East Texas (about 1000 sq ft). It has two nice sized bedrooms and two baths.  I was looking into having one built a few years ago as a weekender or for a rental property. However, as with the best laid plans of mice and men, I was laid off and was unable to build.

You may find it suits your needs

Just my 2 cents   ;D

Sassy

Wow, Judy, you could get lost for hours looking at all the links!  Then I get to feeling guilty that I should get up & do something...  :-/ ::)  So I guess I better see what I can do... very inspiring  :)
http://glennkathystroglodytecabin.blogspot.com/

You will know the truth & the truth will set you free

Amanda_931

#17
I don't think I've ever been in an octagon house.

But I used to play around with the idea of putting stock plans on the lots in my neighborhood.  One of the octagons--might even have been the same plan as the one Don showed--seemed like it would be perfect for some of my neighbors.

And of course, no problems putting a Ba Gua onto the plan to see what the Feng Shui would be. ;)

Hmm. I'd always thought it was duodecahedron.  Now it looks like that's the very old spelling--found in a 1913 Websters.

Jochen

I found this company which is selling plans for octagonal wooden yurts.

Jochen
http://www.greywater.com.au/yurts/yurtmenu.htm






glenn kangiser

QuoteI don't think I've ever been in an octagon house.

Hmm. I'd always thought it was duodecahedron.  Now it looks like that's the very old spelling--found in a 1913 Websters.

Trying to tell us anything, Amanda?  :-?

Actually I thiink I remember it being spelled that way too. :)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.


JRR

#20
Octagon house.  There's a small (but two floored) all-wood example nearby.  Not too conspicuous.

Not sure I want one, but it is an interesting concept.  Some of my doodles usually have a round stone chimney in the center ... load bearing for the floor joists and roof rafters, includes all vents, etc ... so the roof planes don't have to be pierced.  

If the house is to be two floored, the round chimney increases in diameter and becomes, instead, an enclosed circular stairway.

John_C

I still like the idea of an octagon house and I'm looking into it further.  I'll need an engineers seal on the foundation so I sent an email to see what that would cost.

I am told by almost everyone I know that the houses I like, want to build and want to live in are wrong for a host of different reasons.

I like Frank Lloyd Wright houses, flat roofs, open plans and all.   I like A frames, but don't necessarily  want to build one.  I'd have a row of 5 foot  closets along each wall and FINALLY have a place to store stuff.  I like post & beam houses.  There is one near here with a hammer beam truss roof. I could sit and stare up at that for hours.  I don't like McMansions, or small houses that are just shrunken McMansions.

So I had some thoughts about some of the usual suspects here on the forum explaining their tastes in house to my acquaintances.

Glenn... "I think I'll build an underground complex, mostly of recycled and salvaged materials. Oh, and permits... what's a permit".

Amanda...  "I think I'd like a cob house;  no,no ferro cement; ummmmm, hay balees.   Well as long as it has two doors and lots of book shelves".

Numerous....  "The 200 sq. ft. house is so cool".  

PEG make sure that whatever we build, it'll be stout.

Short story.   I'm in good company here.  

glenn kangiser

Good attitude, John C.

Permits?-- oh - must be senility creeping in.  I forgot to ask.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

ailsaek

Quote
Amanda...  "I think I'd like a cob house;  no,no ferro cement; ummmmm, hay balees.   Well as long as it has two doors and lots of book shelves".

Heh.  That'd be me too.