It has been a few years in the planning but I am finally getting started on my home away from home. Last year I purchased 10 acres near Bickleton, Wa. The location is remote but accessible by vehicle (4WD most of the year)  there is no power - or cell signal which is part of the appeal, but the location is good for Solar and even wind if I wanted to go that route (no plans for wind at the moment.) The intent is a weekend getaway, that could be used as a full-time home in an emergency. While I have renovated my current home myself this process will be a learning one for me, both exciting and a little scary. There is one full-time resident in the area that keeps an eye out on my property when I am not around, and who can assist me on very limited occasions, otherwise this will be a solo build.
I am using the 14 x 24 Builders Cottage plans, with the only real addition being a wrap around porch.
The updates will likley be slow as the property is 150 miles away from my home which means limited visits (based on gas prices more then time constraints) And I am buying construction supplies a little each paycheck, but I plan to keep the train moving forward even if it is slow.






The actual build site on the property


The view from that site


My latest update would be placement of the stylish camper on the property (about 200 feet away from the build site) so I can finally get working more on the site.




Next time I visit the location which should be a few weeks I will drop off the main structural beans I purchased this week and start clearing the build site.
So hopefully i will have another update after that.

what a nice area..  I have the builder's cottage plans on my shelf - love the simplicity of the design...  looking forward to following your project!  jt

Beautiful lot, looking forward to watching this process unfold. 

Thanks!
Spent a day up at the site last weekend, cleared the building site of the dead wood, and built a storage shed under the front of the camper for equipment - and it makes me feel less like it will tilt over while I am sleeping in the over-the-can bed area :-P.
Now is the push to get the needed material to start the construction.

Yeah I would probably feel like it would tip over as well... probably wouldn't but just the thought of it.
Is the tarp needed or just for prevention? 

I envy your location. It's gorgeous. Do you have a plan for communication in the event an accident occurs and you need help?

I think you will enjoy building a cabin in such a beautiful spot!

The Tarp is just for my paranoia. I have had the Camper for  6 months over the winter and it does not leak, but since I am 3 hours away from it and do not get there often it makes me feel better. :-)

No plan for help in an emergency except to be very careful and know that I am on my own if I get in trouble. Part of the appeal is the isolation so it is not a negative, just a reminder for extra caution. I go on yearly week long hikes in extremely remote areas with the same issue now (of course I am not building something, but I am not near my truck either, which I am here) I am counting on safe measures, good first aid skills, and a great med-kit to see me through!

Lovely site. I look forward to your project.

John

Finally managed to get some work done.
Although I did not get more finished photos, I was able (with the help of my 75 year old dad) to get my foundation done. There has been some alterations in the plans based on the extended loft and such but what we have so far is 15 cement piers (tied into the bedrock with re-bar where able) and each with a metal bracket added to secure the bean directly to the concrete -  Next will be putting the support beams in place and adding the floor joists in.

You may want to consider planning for some sort of bracing between those taller piers. It looks like some may be over 4' tall. An x-brace of wood or cable would add rigidity and earthquake protection. One way to do this would be to screw a long sturdy screw eye into the base and top of adjacent cardboard piers (prior to the pour). Later you could install an "X" brace with two cables and turnbuckles.

That photo is misleading because although all the tubes came in 4 ft lengths that was  before we cut the tubes down to their level size. The tallest one is about three feet out of the ground. However because of the slope in one corner on the site there are 4 that would have been too tall so we only have them going up about 16 inches out of the ground then I will have a wooded vertical support up to the beam, with 45 degree slanted bracing from the floor beam to those verticals as well.
If I would have remembered to get shots farther in the process it would hopefully look more secure. I am putting in the beams the weekend after next so when I post those pics let me know how it looks.

Sounds good. I was envisioning something different. "Never mind" 

 I was not expecting any of the tubes to be over 24 inches when I started and did not expect to need to add the vertical beams as the land just looked it it had a slight grade at that spot but when we actually squared and leveled it there was a huge difference. One corner of the cabin will be ground level (8 inches above) and the opposite corner will be 5 feet off the ground - it was such a difference it was amazing it looks even remotely level. Made the foundation work more complicated but will give me some good under-cabin storage area to use as a bonus.

Putting a hinge in the middle of a pier weakens it, John's first suggestion is considerably stronger.

Having a beam go from the footing to the floor beam was not my first choice, the space just ended up being too much for a pier during the construction so it was my only work around. With a site that is 3 hours from home and out of communication I am having to do some best guess at the site in the moment, and hopefully not make too many mistakes. I already poured the piers before the photos were posted so I could not follow that advice specificity but I am trying to make it as strong as possible so will continue to try and figure out a way to add support.

Found one good shot at the end of that weekend.
Some explanation to help...
The angle makes it a little confusing but the closest row to the camera from left to right is level.
The middle row is level except the final pier on the far right which would have been too tall so will now have a wood beam from it up to the main middle floor beam.
The far row on has two at the right height, with the last three all needing to also be wood beam up to floor beam because the the piers would have been too tall.

Welcome to the forum, I look forward to watching your build.

thats a awesome view you will have from your build.. very nice! 

Thanks!
Headed out again this weekend to put in the floor beams, some cross support (where possible) and the floor Joists. It is great to be building instead of just planning (as that stage was too long for my tastes)
Will post some new pics next week.

Did some more work this weekend, got the beams in, and floor joists all on. Still need to add some cross bracing where possible or come up with something else to address the concern but so far so good. Last photo shows the plan for the flooring which is actually subfloor and floor all in one as I am using 2 x 6 x 12 tongue & groove boards for it.

One bracing idea that removes the dependency of relying on mechanical fasteners for strength.

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=11649.msg149730#msg149730

That owner builder used to have photos of the cut in timber brace but they were removed. There is a link from Don_P there to some timber framing....

in the detail photo of the concrete to timber conection

it looks like you used....

3 nails
3 dry wall screws
and a coach screw.............

I think you need to review your fixing protocols !......


and then think about adding bracing..

You are right on the 16d galvanized nails, Not drywall screws but decking screws but close and in black so I can see why the confusion, they were to hold things in place while we put in a carrage bolt, but the other side has a lag screw from the other direction. I did that same set up on them all by the time we were done. Thanks for the concern but I feel that are a solid connection at this point.

And if you read the earlier posts you will see I do plan to add bracing, just have not gotten to it yet, work in progress and such.