Large Alternative Housing Plans

[Nathan Hampton]

I like this site and the plans that are on it, but I'm looking to build a house that's much larger than what's here: ~5,000 sqft. The only way I can see doing it with the plans provided is to start with the 24' 2-story plans and then add identical wings which would probably work. Other plan sites that I've found have larger plans but also expect you to be working with a GC or other hired construction company rather than being an owner/builder.

The other deal is that I'd like to build with some "alternative" materials and methods rather than conventional 2x4s, fiberglass, and gypsum. Am I completely on my own, or is there somewhere you'd recommend?

-NH

[Bart_Cubbins]

John's plans might work for you. One way to get a real interesting large house is just to string together a series of simple buildings...



This approach might also make the project more managable by allowing you to build in phases.

Why kind of alternative materials/methods are you thinking about?

Bart

[glenn kangiser]

Are you in an area that requires permits?

The picture Bart posted looks like a neat way to go especially if you don't need all the room at once.  Then you have the opportunity to try different things and keep it interesting.

[Nathan Hampton]

That's what I was thinking ... string together a bunch of small houses to make a bigger one.  Phases would probably be a good thing, except that I'd need to keep the initiative going for a longer period of time. My family is still small so I could build what we need right now, then add-on and expand as needed as everyone gets bigger and lack of space becomes a problem for what we actually use it for.

I'm not too sure about permits since I haven't got the land yet. It's in southern Colorado just west of Trinidad and just north of New Mexico. The "neighborhood" has no HOA restrictions to speak of, just enough for road maintenance.

As far as alternative methods, I was considering several different options. Here in the high-plains desert, adobe or straw bale might be the best way to go. O'course, I haven't seen a 2-story straw bale house yet.  The other consideration is what would be predominately available on the property: rocks and trees. If that's the issue then a combination of rock and cordwood might be better suited.

I definitely want the exterior walls to be solid with all utilities run externally. In some areas, the only permits there are apply only if you're hooking it up to the electrical grid (it won't be) or installing a septic tank (unnecessary: composting toilets / greywater pool). I'm not concerned with "resale value", just "quality of life".

I'd like the house itself to look as though it belongs there with as much local material as possible, rather than the modern construction idea of "this is the way we do it" which makes it look very out of place. "Design-in-place" would help with both aspects. The only "issue" that might make it an interesting dillemna is that I like the regalness of Antebellum while my wife prefers the daintiness of Queen Anne. Any suggestions on how to combine the two?

-NH

[Daddymem]

Sometimes "alternative" can translate into "vernacular"...build with the methods the indigenous people used, sometimes they used them for a reason.  
Here are a couple of searches:

Colorado
http://www.greatbuildings.com/cgi-bin/gbc-search.cgi?search=quicksearch&quicksearch=colorado

New Mexico
http://www.greatbuildings.com/cgi-bin/gbc-search.cgi?search=quicksearch&quicksearch=new+mexico

Main site: http://www.greatbuildings.com/search.html

That Taos Pueblo looks pretty sprawling with the ability to add as needed.

[Shelley]

I know that house Bart.  Wasn't it the HGTV Cracker house in Fl?

Where are you exactly?  Somewhere on Hwy 12?
Up toward La Veta pass?  Trying to give you my opinion about antebellum/victorian, but want to make sure that I understand the topgraphy first.  It changes rapidly up there.

I think a piece of land wants a certain type of house.  Anything you "like" doesn't necessarily look good on any piece without some alterations to accomodate what looks good exactly there.

Bart's pic would look good most anywhere rural...cause it looks like a collection of farm buildings built over time.  Same with John's plans.  The proportions are classic and the structures not overpowering.

You sure that there's not at least a state permit?  That's what we have in NM if there are no local building codes....and CO is way more civilized than us.

[Nathan Hampton]

I guess I never equated "Government, May I" with "civilized". I'm currently in steel building sales with PremierSteel.org. A recent call discovered that this one guy was trying to put up a small garage, and the $15,000 building would generate $56,000 in county building fees!

The specific "no permit" locations I was talking about were back in Missouri and Kentucky that recent posters on a Yahoo! group recently rejoiced about. I haven't checked anything yet about Colorado. The only major issue that I know of is (lack of) water rights. Underground is fair game (I think), but surface water is "righted" to Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.

As the crow flies, it's only 9 miles from Trinidad off of Hwy 12 NE of Cokedale, but as the road drives, it's over 45 minutes: Picketwire Ranch. One of the reasons we're able to get it as cheap as it is is because it so "remote". Most people don't want the hassle of travelling it every day to work. As I work my way out of the office and into more self-employment when I'll finally be able to leave Denver, I won't have to worry about the commute.

The pic that Bart posted looked more like an island resort complex with condos and cabanas than a house for a single family. My thought would be to use more wall-sharing between the buildings so the end result looks like one BIG house (mansion) instead of a half-shod string of shanties.

I want the OPPOSITE of sprawling. A sprawling house or complex will be a nightmare when it comes to utilities and simply getting around in. Floors and stairs give a nice neat division to the house: public areas from private areas.

Getting to the core of antebellum / queen anne, I think the major distinction is the mental impression of the architecture. Antebellum with 2-story columns, and straight lines gives a certain regal air of "just so". It's designed to be overpowering on the senses while remaining subdued by the nearby tall trees.  Queen anne, by contrast, is delicate with an irregular style that lends more toward artisticness and intricacy. To combine the two in a natural setting, we'd need the 2-story building with large columns that is apparent at first approach with the more intricate detail revealed as you get closer. The columns could be made of large whole knotty trunks while the house itself has all manner of interesting bumps and twists in it: bay windows, rotundas, spires, etc

Alternative may very easily get into vernacular processes and methods, but the native peoples didn't have a millenias of architectural history from around the world to be influenced by & the needs of the 21st century to accomodate.

[Greenbank]

Nathan, I'm kinda curious, and this isn't really meant as criticism: why such a big house? We are renting a 4500 sq. ft. monster (it was the only place available when we had to move) and can't really see even a big family needing this much space.

[Bart_Cubbins]

Shelley, yep, it's the HGTV 2003 Dream House.

[Shelley]

Sounds like you've already made up your mind.

Took a look at it.  Open meadows, pinon with the occasional Ponderosa.  Least that's what I saw.

What are you planning to do for power?  Ads indicate power not available.

[Nathan Hampton]

My "total head space" for the house and property is available at <http://www.homesteadingonline.com/3Pastures/>. "Power is not available" is a pro not a con. The design is to be off-grid. "What to do for power?" We don't have the time or space nor is this the forum to go into that, but I will say that I've been a student of off-grid power systems for several years. I don't know everything, but what I don't know, I know how to find out.

My wife and I have been searching for a place to "settle" from the time we first married nearly 10 years ago. We've sought, fought, and talked until we wore ourselves out over every ad we liked from sea to shining sea. We moved from Washington to Florida and a few places in between trying to find the right place.

For whatever reason, we need to be in Denver for right now and likely going to stay in Colorado the rest of our lives. We don't like Denver, and very few places in Colorado are reasonably priced. Finally, we found the ad for Picketwire. I fell in love immediately, and the more we've talked about it, the more my wife's liking it as well.

What you saw is exactly what there is.  It's one of the prettiest areas in Colorado that we've ever seen. We both fell in love with Trinidad when we first went down there. After all the barrenness of the Front Range on I-25 from Canada to Walsenburg, it's like crossing a desert and finding an oasis. I haven't been into New Mexico yet, but I'm thinking that just pass Raton and on south, it goes right back to desert. It's halfway between Denver and Santa Fe. The more I talk about it; the more perfect it seems.

Why a "large" house?
1) Because I want one.
2) Because I think I need it.
3) I have 4 children (so far), and personal space is essential.
4) My wife and I enjoy spontaneous entertainment, but if the house is just small enough for us, then there's not room enough for anyone else.
5) I grew up in a 4,000 sqft house with 4 siblings that was too small.
6) Rooms can be closed when unneded, but unbuilt rooms can't be added-on when needed.
7) To me, a house is kinda like money: More is better than less. Sooner is better than later. The headaches of "too much" are infinitely more desirable than too little.

Everyone has their own idea of paradise. Show someone else a picture of your idea of "heaven on earth", and they probably won't get it either. Religiously, politically, even in your choice of homes and lifestyle, we each make decisions that we like, but someone else makes a VERY different decision. Welcome to America. I appreciate you asking me these questions because it forces me to think through them, see where my logic is flawed and find where I may be contradicting myself in some aspect of my goals. (I say I want this, but I'm planning to do that.)

BTW, you seem to very knowledgable in the area. Where do you live? Are you nearby? Are you trying to keep me away from your "piece of heaven"?

[Nathan Hampton]

Corrected link:

http://www.homesteadingonline.com/3Pastures/

[Shelley]

No not near you at all.  But I have lived in Denver, Grand Junction, Durango and currently Albuquerque.  Have explored all that country over  several decades.  Remember when all Walsenberg had was a combination Dairy Queen/Hospital.  Still ride those twisty roads on our motorcycles.

Planning my escape to the Chihuahua desert.

BTW, dry starts way South of Raton.  Come over the pass some time and take a look around .

Have hit on some sites that offer large, alternative house plans.  But, most of them are one story..pueblo/territorial.  Not what you have in mind.

[Shelley]

LOL.  Just got off your site.

I'm thinkin' I'm pretty insightful saying that you'd made up your mind.  You have it planned to the nth degree, don't you?  

[Nathan Hampton]

You have NO idea to what degree it's planned. All you saw was just the house and grounds. There're other docs that aren't online that discuss various other aspects of business, clothes, health, exercise, energy, etc.

A few sayings come to mind:
* "Best leave nothing to chance."
* "The best laid plans of mice and men,
the saddest are these ... it might have been."
* "Better to shoot for the stars and hit a barn than to shoot for the barn and hit a mud puddle."

I was going through a miserable depression here not so long ago. I only recently began REALLY pulling out of it. In that time, I had only two glimmers of hope to latch onto: GOD/faith and planning my dream home. So that's what I did: I read a lot of Scripture and wrote a lot of stuff down about my dream house and dream life. Some of it's already changed from the initial plan, but "better to change what's planned than have nothing planned at all".

I do "plan" to get down to Raton and such sometime on a visit, but the last time I was down there I turned around at the last exit before the NM border.

[Dustin Hollis]

I am in a similar position as you. I have also been designing and spending a good amount of research time looking into building my dream "self-sufficient" home.
You might want to look into "Cast Earth" as a building material. I think there is a Cast Earth builder/contractor in CO.
www.castearth.com or google "Cast Earth" and "Poured Earth".
For an architect that builds with the stuff, see http://www.michaelfrerking.com
They are basically poured earth/plaster of paris-concrete walls set into forms. They look like massive sandstone walls. They set up in less than 6 hours! You can have all your walls done in a day or two.
I looked at rammed earth a while back becuase it it so beautiful, but very labor intensive.  Takes several weeks to do, and that adds up to big bux. With cast earth, you can have someone pour your walls in a day or two, depending on how many forms he has and how elaborate your plans are. They can do two-stories as well.