Overview

The Solar Farmhouse is what can be called an “elaborated saltbox”. This is the house we built for ourselves. It consists of a basic main floor shape 24’ x 36’ long containing the primary living spaces. The upper floor sits on top of the south half of the main floor and is 12’ x 36’. It contains sleeping areas and an upstairs bath. The gable roof over the upper floor slants down to the north, to connect the north wall of the main floor. This provides extra height in the living room by means of the cathedral ceiling and an expanded bedroom where the upper floor structure carries through to the north wall. 

The plan has been fully “elaborated” from this basic concept to include extras which owners and builders may choose to incorporate or not (information is provided on necessary structural changes when these extras are eliminated). 

Included Extras: 

• 14’ x 26’ solar sunspace
• Wrap around porch
• Living room bay window
• Living room alcove
• Master bedroom pop-out with glass roof
• Northeast bedroom addition (12’ x 14’)

The construction system consists of a platform frame of plywood and joist floors sitting on a concrete perimeter foundation. The wall system is built using 2 x 6 studs and plywood sheathing. An interior exposed post and beam structure runs east/west down the center line of the building at main and upper floors. The upper floor is platform framed over the beams. The roof system consists of 12’ wide site build trusses over the upper floor in combination with 2 x 12 rafters sloping down the north half of the house.