North Woods Cottage

  1. idea came from discussions during New Year’s get togethers (JoAnna calls it a commune)
  2. we want a place of our own that is in a remote location (no motor access), on the water, that will give us access to the (state) woods for
    1. New Year’s hangout
    2. skiiing
    3. canoeing
    4. biking
    5. hiking
  3. Brantingham area seems good location for proximity, snowfall, biking and skiing on tug hill plateau, hiking in Thendara, and general proximity to Canoe Wilderness. Or Cape Breton.
  4. Easy (cheap) to own
  5. ideally, is teardown/rebuild of existing structure
  6. keep a low investment and carry no insurance or utility costs
  7. keep the tax assessor away with blair-witch stick-piles, boooby traps, scary dogs, yellin’, and gun fire (in that order)
  8. Architecural style should maximize use of simple, renewable, recyclable, biodegradable materials
  9. Great example design

HayBaleHome

  1. slab foundation
    1. concrete floor colored and grooved to look like tiles
    2. gravel substrate, but need foam for insulation?
  2. straw bale walls (excellent thermal qualities)
  3. thatched roof (excellent thermal qualities)
  4. rubble trench foundation footer (will need to go down to 5’)
  5. simple floorplan for easy construction
  6. 1.5 bathrooms
  7. loft for sleeping space
  8. beds for 8
  9. single-pane windows with inner and outer shutters for security, cost, strength, and warmth
  10. screen doors downstairs and in loft for ventilation
  11. suspend gear (canoes, bikes, etc) from rafters
  12. Mechanicals should be off-grid, minimalistic (see below)
    1. heat
      1. masonry wood stove
    2. light
      1. battery and/or oil, candles
    3. water
      1. overhead tank for pressure
        1. 30” pipe in roof apex will hold 1000 gallons (but weigh 4 tons)
      2. low-power electric pump operated by solar panel
      3. hand pump in kitchen sink (also backs up electric pump)
      4. hand-augered well
      5. low-flow shower head
    4. waste
      1. composting toilets
      2. kitchen and shower grey-water system
    5. hot water
  13. propane on-demand 1. a 20lb tank will give 8hrs of shower hot water (overhead tank is already room temp!)
    1. electricity
      1. use a deep cycle battery and inverter, charged from solar cell
      2. really should just be used for lights, charging devices, using speakers, etc.
  14. kitchen
    1. small propane fridge and cooking stove
    2. grilling in summer
    3. wood stove in winter
  15. wine cave built into the side of a hill somewhere nearby (they can burn the house but they cain’t have the booze! Keep guns and a chainsaw and some cans of food in there too)
  16. Construction phasing
    1. find and acquire property and site building
    2. construct yurt, hand pumped well, and outhouse for temporary housing
    3. build foundation and slab
    4. build walls, roof ridgepole with temp roofing
    5. put mechanicals in place
    6. roof
    7. furnish
  17. materials estimates (we have to carry everything in by canoe!)
    • concrete: 10 yds (~400 80lb bags)
    • rebar: 2 ton
    • straw: ?
    • stone: ?
    • gravel: ?
  18. References
    1. Jon’s natural construction book

Hay Bale House.

Hay Bale House.

A-Frame Tiny House

Same basic ideas and mechanicals as the HayBaleHome, but:

  • Smaller; sleeps only 4 but far easier to site
  • Simpler construction:
    • Minimal footprint: No foundation, just 4 or 5 concrete tube pilings
  • SIP
  • high insulation * modular construction * no beams

A Frame plans.

Off-grid Mechanicals Vault

Every camp-type structure would benefit from a temporary and small electricity supply and running water. A minimalistic vault design can help simplify the setup, maintenance, and constructability of this. Obviously, every design parameter depends on conservation, reduction of need, usage patterns, etc. A dry temp-stable space is also a great spot for emergency supplies. Avoid storage of any type of fuel though.

  1. Structure:
    1. Constructability: Modular size cube built from ICF
    2. 95% buried for thermal efficiency, low noise, and security
    3. Accessible and visible top (so no one runs it over) yet protected from the elements and vandalism. Could also site structure on top of it, and size it for lock-box usage as well.
    4. insulated and dehumidified/heated for consistent temp and low humidity
  2. Mechanicals
  3. Well: some people do this but a lot depends on siting for soil type and depth to water table
    1. Pump:
      1. 12v
      2. positive dispacement for high pressure, low volume, no priming
      3. replaceable
      4. can be multiplied in series or parallel for flow or pressure
  4. COTS automotive fuel pump
    1. Storage:
      1. Gravity option: Bulk storage ie IBC tote tank
      2. Pressure Tank: this shouldn’t be large, as a portable water tower should be used for increased capacity
      3. Manual (from external) and power-actuated ball valves
      4. Overflow
    2. Potable treatment:
      1. Filter: 50 micron fiber followed by 5 micron charcoal to remove sediment, chemicals, and protozoa AND
      2. UV to remove bacteria and viruses OR
  5. RO unit
    1. Power:
      1. 12v for safety and convenience
      2. Battery bank
      3. Charger that can handle solar, alternator, generator or line inputs
  6. Monitoring:
    1. pressure between all components
    2. storage level and overflow
    3. well level and temp
    4. vault humidity and temp
    5. battery voltage, charge rate, and temp
    6. pump current draw, flow rate, and temp
    7. vault door alarm
    8. local display and telemetry

Off-Grid Mobile Ski Chalet

A cozy, trailered, home away from home

  • Off grid for maximum siting flexibility
  • Framed in 1x6 with 1/4” ply walls, rock wool insulation, and cedar shingling exterior
  • Custom steel trailer with engineered hardwood flooring over foam
  • BIM model
  • BOM and costs

Mobile Ski Chalet.