first sketches

It's storming today so I dug out the trusty grid pad and started sketching out floorplans.  The biggest issue I seem to be running in to is that damn heat-sink wall.  I may have to abandon the earth ship ideals if I'm to get the type of structure I want.  Although this one could still be banked with earth and enveloped with a living roof.

Given that the island (more than likely where I will end up building this) is damp and cold for most of the year, I think I would have to go with a stone foundation and build in a geo thermal heating system.  This would allow more freedom when it comes to the windows in the structure - and keep the floors toasty warm (when my feet get cold my legs ache and I get just miserable).

 
To get enough windows facing south to take advantage of the heat sink wall without going with a completely glass southern exposure I drafted the front of the house 18' tall , which slopes back to 10'.   All around I think the walls should be 24" thick with the exception of the heat sink which is 4'.   Also I added a "tunnel" exposing some of the structure to allow for a door for the north side of the house as well.

Our summer house was a 2 storey 20' x 24' affair and was easily heated with a single small wood stove, so although I do like the look of a fireplace, I would most likely go with that option in conjunction with the geo thermal.

The living area is certainly open, and would function as a green-house and living/study area.  I love the sculpted in bookshelves, and they would most likely become a feature throughout the house.

The other interior sketch I started on is the open kitchen.  I feel the arch I have on the floor plan is too large and may be edited out to just be floor to ceiling walls instead.. but that does remove a large portion of the support structure - smaller arches or perhaps framed glass doors to separate the areas my be in order.

As I was doing the sketch the size of the windows became painfully apparent and I am realizing the kitchen area is going to be quite ill lit by natural means.  Geo thermal is looking better all the time I have to say.  Just tack on another $8000.00 to the construction cost I suppose.

Again you will see sculpted in shelving and counters.  The ceilings I think I want exposed natural wood beams with board showing behind, stained or left natural I haven't decided yet of course.  The soil in Prince Edward Island is quite red, I hope a white wash will cover it adequately.  lol worse the soil in Alberta is quite black..

The Beginning

I have started this blog mainly for selfish reason - I'm organized, but only if I can hyperlink and organize electronically.  I also feel that by putting the process, from the beginning, into the blog will both serve as encouragement when this task seems overwhelming - and as the nagging mother - "why haven't you gotten anything done yet, what's taking so long, are you even trying" .. and the nags go on.

The first issue I've been running in to when it comes to starting a cob construction is simply deciding what I want to go for.  Do you go with an earthship design or something more traditional?  Larger or smaller?  living or charming whimsical roofing? How many rooms, how will the rooms impact heating or air circulation?  How can I incorporate a greenhouse in to the design?  Am I insane for wanting to do this in the great frozen north?  Do you aim for completely off the grid, semi-self-sufficient, or embrace the griddy goodness in its entirety?

First things first, the thing I like most about cob construction is the fact that there are round corners.  Literally, this is what sold me on the idea.  I live in a new city in a new part of the country.  New cities have mile after mile of cookie-cutter people shelves in varying shades of taupe.  I can't stand it.

I love the idea of being able to sculpt your walls by hand building bookcases and "frames" around windows and doors as you go - the only limit being your imagination.  I have been toying the last few weeks with a crescent shaped house plan, single storey, so that as the sun moves through the sky your life moves along with it.  Bedrooms catching the first light of day from the east, kitchen, dining, living rooms catching midday to evening sun.  I also want to build a greenhouse (the conservatory) in to my design for container gardening in the winter months - this is going to be tricky to say the least as it could easily making heating the space much more difficult.

I require a library, thankfully that is rather simple to build in to a space, and somehow I want to be able to move my living space outdoors, or bring the outdoors in, during the summer months... we get so little summer here that one has to truly savour every humid sticky moment of it.

Those are my established paramaters.. and I am leaning towards the living roof option but it still requires investigation before a final decision can be etched in cyberstone.