Odd Building Ideas

Started by glenn kangiser, June 24, 2006, 02:51:22 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

desdawg

Thanks jwv. I have been reading your blog. Heck, we are almost neighbors. I am south of Maricopa (City of) about 18 miles. From Tucson go north to I-8, then west to Highway 84 (25-30 miles) then north again about 5 miles. And there I am, a Sonoran Desert misfit. The area is called Hidden Valley, about 25 miles west of Casa Grande. I am amazed that you can function within the constraints of the dreaded HOA. (+ crossed fingers to ward off the evil spirits) Your house is looking good. We "enjoy" the same climate. Can't beat it in the winter but the summers are really getting old for me. Been doing it since '85. My other place is in Bridge Canyon outside of Seligman, AZ. About 20 degrees cooler most of the time. Anyway, I digress. Keep up the good work on that straw bale. I would like to learn the earth plastering techniques myself sometime.
I have done so much with so little for so long that today I can do almost anything with absolutely nothing.

jwv

#26
Quote
Glenn, the pic needs to be bigger-that could be anyone-or was that part of the plan? :-/

Judy

Now we know what happened to Winchester from MASH!


...no one can look upon my full brilliance and live

We have shades [smiley=cool.gif]

Judy
http://strawbaleredux.blogspot.com/

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


glenn kangiser

Close Judy.

The real problem is that I don't take pictures of myself and of the ones I don't take I can't find any good ones. :-/
"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.

desdawg

When you win a prestigous award certain responsibilities come with the package. Therefore this "Glenn-K Award" winning building recently got a facelift:

Actually I had the winning bid on a quantity of metal siding at an auction a while back and decided this would be a worthy use for some of that material. Last summer I installed a small septic system on the property so the never used composting toilet will be removed and this building will now house a generator powered stacked washer and dryer combo. The dryer may come in handy on rainy days but for the most part I will be using a solar powered clothes dryer (aka clothes line).  I recently returned from spending 10 days on an alleged deer hunt and got lots of little odd jobs done while I was there. Brige Canyon is truely magnificent country in northern AZ and I didn't really want to come back. Not really really, but duty called. This is a picture I took while hunting:

glenn-k

A true testament to my glory, desdawg.  Beauty, eh?


desdawg

It will henceforth be known as the Kansiger Building. Come and do a load of laundry anytime if you want Glenn.  :)

jraabe

#31
Glenn:

There are very few people in the world who have had a circular metal laundry room named after them.

We are all honored to be in the presence of one of them!

mark_chenail

#32
I named my well  and well house for my attorney after he won me 22K for being hit by a car in my wheelchair crossing the street(long story) but the Lawrence Johnson Memorial Well House is no where near this splendid.  Im curious how did you frame the building?  I assume those are 3' wide panels of metal roofing.  It reminds me of some swedish dovecotes I have seen.  Any chance of a peek inside to see the interior framing? And the roof looks like one solid piece, like a giant garbage can lid?

glenn-k

I am only a little disappointed that it's not still a toilet that is being named after me. :-/


JRR

"I gotta take a trip to the 'glenn'".  Nah, doesn't have that familiar ring.

desdawg

JRR, earlier in this thread I posted the following:
This may be the strangest little building I have ever put together. Waste not, want not I guess. At one time I participated in a sealed bid school auction and purchased a quantity of scrap metals for $20 or so. The roof for this building was part of the plunder. In a former life it was kind of a flying saucer looking piece of playground equipment supported by 4 2" pipe posts. The floor and ceiling are 5' diameter wire spool ends covered with AC plywood. Wall studs are 2 X 3's nailed aroud the perimeter of the spool ends. Siding is 1/8" masonite wrapped around the circle. Found within is a composting toilet. The masonite siding suffered a couple of dings on the ride to the mountains where this strange looking edifice resides.
I can probably take a picture of the interior next time I am at the property. Gee Glenn, I thought you would be happy that I was going to remove the shi**er and replace it with laundry facilities. Now I will have to rethink the whole deal.  :-/ I don't want to dishonor the benefactor of such a prestigous award.

mark_chenail

Desdawg:  Thanks for the description, about what I figured.  And I remember those flying saucer things well, our grade school had one on the playground.  Is the siding 1/8" masonite or metal siding.  Either would work.  The building looks almost as if it was sided with beadboard.

GLENN:  I kinda like the sound of "A trip to the Glenn". Brings to mind the moors of Scotland and visions of Braveheart leaping from Tor to Tor on his way to the "glenn."  And think what a nice title it would make for a travel book?  I think its a keeper...... ::) ;)

Sassy

#37
I hope "John" doesn't feel left out...  ::)  :D

glenn-k

Ahhhh -- yesss --- it has a nice ring to it.  Maybe more of a rap to it but a noise none the less. :-/


Sassy



Urban Cactus

Found a link to this interesting & attractive apartment complex in Rotterdam

Here's another picture


desdawg

 :o Wow! That had to be an engineering feat of magic.

tibadoe

And I thought building a 20 x 34 was challenging!!!!  I now look at my new project in a new light.

Freeholdfarm

Those pictures appear to be of an architects model -- I wonder if it's actually been built?  Interesting concept, anyway!

My interesting idea is to use pallet lumber to build a 'round' (or rounded) post and shore underground house like Mike Oehler's book talks about.

Kathleen

glenn-k

I guess you already have the book then. :)

One thing you won't find in it is sidewall support information.  I found through trial and error that 2x material will span 8 feet with backfill lightly tamped by hand or 1x material will span 4 feet so your posts could be spaced on 4' centers to use your pallets and hold back the fill.  No guarantees but that is what worked for me,  The pallets would actually be stronger than 1x material which is good.  #4' spacing should work better for your rounded structure.

glenn-k

#44
This is called low impact building by the builder.  Check it out for great natural building ideas.  -Note - the picture below is real

Take me to Simondale



Amanda_931

Hmm.  I'm familiar with the saga of Tony Wrench.  This guy has an interview with him.  Seems to be a definite generation gap here.
Here's Wrench's website, with the endless battles he's had with codes and, especially planning, latest decision supposed to be sometime in mid-month http://www.thatroundhouse.info/

A lot prettier and less wild looking.

Some nice links--like this one--they're really really stingy with thumbnails--and even less wild looking--if more authentic in this case--than Simon's:

http://www.caemabon.co.uk/?page=296


Deana

Small world Glen, I was at that site today and copied/uploaded that picture to post in the hobbit house section.
Here are 2 more links of dwellings along those same lines

http://www.thatroundhouse.info/
http://www.lammas.org.uk./gallery.htm

I have a question on the reciprocal roof rafter system they used. I did a search but found little information. Is there a book available that discusses this type of roof?

Deana

glenn-k

I was wondering about the roof too, Deana.  It seems to be used in several of these linked sites.  I guess I'll have to study more.  Looks like Tony Wrench uses it.

That site was the first one I hit last night when I clicked the Stumbleupon button.

That is the neatest place.


Amanda_931

#48
I looked maybe three computers ago.  Found something, but it may have been the math for a model.

Wrench used dreams to design and size his timbers.

(which shows when you look at other buildings that have been built using him for inspiration--at least one looks mighty flimsy)

there once was--some years ago, and may be again there's still an "under reconstruction" page--something called http://www.outofnowhere.com/  That was probably it.  


Deana

The Shire:
Here's one on the opposite end of the financial spectrum, McMansion meets 18th century England...an upscale planned community in Bend, OR;

The pictures are wonderful.

http://www.bendshire.com/index.php?p=1&side=concept