Being Realistic: Take Two

After further research, I take back some of the things I said in my previous post.  I have a feeling it won't be the last time.

Researching the possibilities and identifying which possibilities are good for our particular situation is exhausting for me and makes me wish we had the money to hire a green building designer.  My husband, on the other hand, absolutely wants to design the house and does not wear out nearly as quickly as I do.

The more I read and sketch and muse, the easier a non-bermed/underground home seems to be design and build-wise.  We both are partial to a bermed house, however, so we are trying to move in that direction; it does limit our options as far as materials go.  Earthbags have moved up to first choice and may be the most affordable choice as well.  We can supposedly the structure and walls for a 900 square foot home for around $5000 and that sounds good to both of us (and that is if we pay people to help us fill the bags and stack the bags).  The trickiest thing to figure out, in my current opinion, is the foundation of the house.

In addition to the ability to be "hidden" in the landscape, an earthbag house is also most efficient and durable when built in a circle (so strike that whole four-corner mandate).  My husband would prefer a circle (or possible two or three) and I admit that I like the idea as well.  I was thinking of just doing a big kiva-style circle, but my husband is concerned about roofing such a structure (with good reason, particularly since we want a living roof).  Two or three connected circles might be the way to go...and we could create an "addition doorway" that allows for future expansion should we need it/have the funds for it.

My husband has started to build a (above-ground) circular playhouse in our backyard so he can practice and try out some of his ideas.  He has already built several (impressive and beautiful) arches using sticks of various lengths and thickness, so he is expanding on that idea.  The technique is called "wattle and daub" and he is losing sleep because he can't stop thinking about all the options for plaster.

We have narrowed down the rooms we absolutely need to:

Great Room: where we all hang out most of the time; bookshelves, work space, play space, lounging space

Kitchen: integrated as part of the Great Room so that the one cooking is not isolated; includes an island-type structure for eating meals

3 Bedrooms: one for the parents, one for the girls, one for the boys; bunkbeds for the kids' rooms; a "nursery alcove" for the current infant in the master bedroom

2 Bathrooms: one for the parents, one for everyone else; the master bathroom will have a soaker tub because that makes Mama happy; the other bathroom will have a shower and tub

Utility Room: laundry, water heater (however we decide to do that), etc.

Loft: a Loft would be awesome because, with the addition of an air mattress, it can sleep guests or additional children; sans-guests/children, it can be used for storage; steps can be anchored within the earthbags, maximizing space (otherwise, it will have to be a ladder or spiral staircase)

I am having a lot more difficulty designing for a circle compared to a square, especially when it comes to windows.  The priority is for the Great Room/Kitchen to have windows and it would be nice for the bedrooms to each have a window.  We intend to utilize tubular skylights, so getting natural light is possible even without an actual window.  If bedrooms are primarily for sleeping and most waking activities happen in the Great Room or outdoors, then window-less bedrooms aren't so very horrible; as the children want more and more of their own space, however, they may retreat to their rooms.  Or maybe they will have a playhouse they can go to.

My thinking has also been revised a bit regarding what animals we can raise at first.  Chickens are a must--we go through 18+ eggs each week with just pregnant me and a toddler.  There is already a coop on the farm that we can use until we are able to build our own.  My desire for a dairy cow will most likely have to be postponed, however, for several reasons mostly having to do with time and cost.  It apparently costs as much to raise a dairy cow as it does to raise a herd of goats.  I have never consumed goat milk, but apparently it is a far better match for the human digestive system than cow milk.  The main reason I want a dairy cow is so that the family can drink raw milk and if goat milk is a cheaper and ultimately healthier substitute, I can get behind that (and hopefully tolerate the taste).  I'm sure there are opportunities to purchase raw cow milk nearby as well and if it is affordable we can take advantage of that.

The down-side to raising goats is that they are escape-artists and require clever housing.  We found a design that looks like it addresses the many requirements such as separating kids and does, giving them space as well as company, and allowing for rotation throughout the farm.  I foresee some profanity on my part when it comes to raising goats, especially if they escape and mess with our gardens.

Honestly, I foresee a lot of profanity in general once we start actually building.  My husband doesn't even say "damn," so I make up for him.