Sweet Cup Lane - 16x12 Cabin near Augusta, GA

[CutOnce]

Hello All,
Newest of newbies here and long, long time lurker. I feel like I know you all and your projects intimately (not in a creepy way though ).  This is my first time posting because I wanted to wait until I have something relevant-ish to add or is it take-away since I'm looking for answers?

I currently live in Atlanta but wanted this little cabin for shelter security.  I will be building it in my garage and plan on erecting it on my little piece heaven with the help of  a couple paid handymen in April.

I have learned so much from the site.  I look at the members' projects and feel like, "I can do this" AND "Realistically, how much would it cost to have this built". Right now, I am feeling like this is possible; so I am going to ask a few pointed questions before I start feeling  inadequate again. I have attached my drawings here for reference. House1 https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-kwmBxZ9pgN0/TyiaN3iYiwI/AAAAAAAAABY/Pl05ZiNvIuw/s144/House1.jpg
House2 https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9XsBptHA958/TyiaOGNRuBI/AAAAAAAAABc/2tdSc9psq9M/s144/House2.jpg

Here goes:

1. I would like to make the sidewalls 12 feet but have never seen this done by anyone here and wondered if it is not adviseable. Thoughts?

2. Framing: I'm a minimalist and won't have any extra heavy loads in it.  For simplicity's sake, can I frame the whole thing in 2x6, 24" o.c. and still have it be structurally sound? (As I write this, I'm saying to myself, "If you have to ask". [tell me anyway] ).

3. Georgia gets full southern sun (maybe everywhere does, idk   ) and I am set on having that balcony face south.  I like the idea of growing things there and relaxing in the evenings. Can anyone share their thoughts on living with a south-facing balcony.  Was it just too much sun to enjoy the space fully?

4. Layout: The 'House1' plan fits nicely together, i.e, top over bottom. However, I prefer 'House2' but can't find a way to make a stair location work with the "critically necessary and needed" bumpout. Thoughts/suggestions, please.

Thanks for all your help

[MountainDon]

 

Wall height (unsupported) is limited to 10 feet by building code, for good reasons.

2x6, 24 OC works; cost wise not much different from 2x4, 16 OC.  Insulation?  2x4 with exterior sheet foam can be as good as / better than 2x6.

Rood overhangs can provide daytime summer shade. Keep the sun off the windows and walls and the interior heat load is lessened. With the right overhang the winter sun can still hit the glass.

Those images come through so small to me I can't see them well enough to comment.  They look like thumbnails; 68x144 pixels

[flyingvan]

    You can frame a wall multiple stories (It's called balloon framing).  I did it on one wall, where it's open floor to ceiling.  This wall is 17' tall.  You do have to provide fireblocking a minimum of every eight feet.  The pro's are--you have a nice story pole to measure off for everything else.  It's also stronger if there's a wind load (like I have) instead of stacking two frames---unless there is a vertical floor between them.  The cons are---finding straight studs that are 17' long is hard.  Raising the wall was scary and difficult. 

[MountainDon]

Yes, my answer was too simple. But building a wall taller than the prescribed 10 feet should not be approached lightly. There are many factors to be considered, some of which are beyond many DIY'ers left to their own. Some factors won't even be thought of by some home made designers.

The devil is in the details, or sometimes, the footnotes.

Follow this link to the IRC 2009
TABLE R602.3(5) SIZE, HEIGHT AND SPACING OF WOOD STUDS^a

Scroll down about 3/5 the page to the Table R602.3(5)
... read the table; it's too hard to copy it into forum format....
Read the footnote "a"
a. Listed heights are distances between points of lateral support placed perpendicular to the plane of the wall. Increases in unsupported height are permitted where justified by analysis.

"Analysis" does not mean sitting round the pot belly stove with some buddies or posing a question on an internet forum unless someone with some engineering knowledge is present.  Darn near anything is possible with a good engineer. 

So yes, taller than 10 feet is very possible, but requires a proper approach.

[flyingvan]

100% agree.