[Strawbale] attaching bales to independent timber frame

[David Neeley]

Sharon,

In that case, I suggest you consider a single-story for your first
design. The problems are many fewer and the structure much less
elaborate and easier to design and build. Taking on a project that is
too large as a first project is a time-tested strategy to wind up with
a disaster...at the minimum, the scope of the project will be somewhat
overwhelming.

By the way, I tend to doubt that window and door bucks that go all the
way up are a very worthwhile idea. Aside from structural issues, they
become rather difficult to insulate properly.

Next, too many beginners design far too large a house, far larger than
they really need. Why? Mostly because the average person is used to
living in houses that are so poorly designed that much space is
wasted. It simply does not occur to most that there are better ways to
accomplish your ends than to throw excess space at the problem.

With a two-story design, you face a number of problems. For example,
are you prepared to erect scaffolding to do the rendering for the
second floor? To move heavy materials up the scaffolding on a
continuous basis? To work on a roof and attic that far above the
ground--and again to move the materials that high? And what about
adequate protection of the outer walls from wind-driven rain? Are you
planning some sort of rain screen? Or perhaps porches on both levels
to give sufficient overhang?

Have you calculated the sheer size of the project in terms of
finishing it? Do you have the budget to accomplish this? (The fact
that you are doing your own plans suggests that perhaps you don't).

In my opinion, a *good* designer is often well worth his or her fee.
The end result is that you wind up with a home that is far more
satisfactory and often more affordable than the typical do-it-yourself
effort.

I have worked on home design and layout for more years than I care to
name. Although nearly a dozen of my designs were built successfully by
a home builder in  Central Texas many years ago, I have not worked
myself as a professional designer. (A good friend at the time was such
a designer, and I spent some very interesting time doing layouts that
he then translated into blueprints that were purchased from him by the
builder. I did it simply to further my own experience and not for a
fee, but he liked my basic designs enough to flesh them out.)

Still, although I'll do a basic floorplan as a starting point, I will
also employ an architect or designer with experience in the kind of
home I settle on to refine the design and, possibly, to throw some or
all of it out if he or she has a better idea that may please us more
than my own. I am not so foolish as to believe I can not be further
educated by a good design. My only focus is to wind up with as
pleasing a design as possible regardless of the source.

There are some experienced builders who can create absolutely
outstanding designs without outside design help. For example, just
about anything that the Steens have built--even homes for the poor in
Mexico--are truly elegant and beautiful. I look at their work and I
find it breathtaking...and I fully intend to visit and perhaps to take
one or more of their workshops prior to building my own home. See
http://www.caneloproject.com.

Depending upon the size of your family and your needs and lifestyle
choices, I suspect you can get by with far less square footage than
you may think and still wind up with a gracious and comfortable house
that is easier to keep and cheaper by far to maintain. In our case
with a family of three and some need for a home office, I plan on
building between 900 and 1200 square feet. The closer to the bottom
end of that range I can get, the happier I will be.

For the simple reason that if you have not built a complete house
before you should be building very small as a first effort, I can only
repeat my suggestion that you build a relatively simple and far easier
to complete single story design. If and when you finish it
successfully, you can always begin to design a second, possibly larger
and more elaborate design based upon the lessons learned the first
time. If you do the first one well, you should also be able to sell it
when the time comes for a sizable amount above your costs and thus
help finance the "dream home." I would be quite surprised, though, if
the dream then might be the same as the dream now.

Regards and best of luck,

David



On 1/9/07, sharon bamber <sm_bamber at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Thank you so much for the information David. I have to confess that I'm
> trying to design it myself, with all my experience - a whopping 2 weeks
> hands-on course and lots of books! I will be sensible and get all the
> detailing checked by an architect experienced in strawbale once I've drawn
> it up, but I wanted to try it first - but I was very stuck on that
> particular detail.
> Thanks again,
> Sharon