From a materials standpoint, the second plan will allow for the slipformed first floor and less for the upper story, while still allowing us to use the home for what we are planning.
I prayed and prayed over the best way to build the house ourselves, in such a way that it would be a solid building and a refuge for our friends and family if they ever needed it. We looked at strawbale, cordwood, log, cob (I LOVE IT!) but eventually went with the third little pig's idea: slipform masonry.
So, we plan to do a standard concrete foundation. We looked at a shallow frost protected type, but since we had to raise the ground up 3 feet I don't think that will work out. Flooding happens about every 25-30 years in our seasonal creek. We are building away from there and raising the ground to be on the safe side. It should be a seriously solid house; under that great farmland is a bunch of stone and boulders, I am talking anywhere from 1 ft diameter to 4 feet diameter. I don't think we will run out of stones for the house!
The red brick sections you see in the Morgan plan will be done in the slipform stone, with regular 2x6 framing and stucco/Tudor trim. Our slipform walls will be one-sided with framing on the inside. We plan to use a masonry heater to heat the home, and I am planning to get an allowance so we can do a graywater system that will feed the orchard. Wherever possible, we are going with authenticity over looks, so that means stone floors, real hardwood planks, wood windows, and rugs made by me (watch for the rugmaking posts!). No laminate, no vinyl, no yucky anything modern. We want the home to feel like it's 200 years old, only with indoor plumbing and modern wiring!
The minimalist in me would be happy with 1000 sq feet total, which we have comfortably done for years, but we are teaching our children to be debt free INCLUDING their house, that there is no rush to leave home, and that their families are welcome. Think British estate style planning. We have seen ourselves that kids come home, even grown ones, even grandkids, and we plan to be ready for any and all who need that help. This economy is... words I can't say, and half of our goal is for this home to be a haven. So it will work out to a bit bigger than that. No one has their own bathroom, this isn't a luxury mansion. The bedrooms will also be usual middle-class size, roughly 12x11 or thereabouts. The kids are also going to share rooms.
We will do as much of the building ourselves except where we feel we need to hire out. The roof is definitely a hire-out; heights and I don't get along!
