post & beam, combo of cob/straw-bale/straw-clay/tires
need an architect or drafter/designer to draw up blueprints; they should be familiar with the type of building material chosen.
OR buy a set of plans (e.g. earthship plans from Michael Reynolds)
pour over the blueprints very carefully;
e.g. how do you get groceries from the car to kitchen?
will you bake in the afternoon?
will the sun bleach furniture?
will the sun make glare on the TV?
will the bathrooms be cold? etc.
then a structural engineer approves them
even after a structural engineer has signed off on blueprints, building department may still have hoops for permits
advocates for your technology have good resources to send to departments
Steve Berlant for cob
Earthship folks will even deal with the building department for you, for a fee.
read through ch 16 for info on choosing contractors/builders/subcontractors, and scheduling/timing work according to the seasons
natural building options
Adobe would likely work for the climate, however it would require finding someone who can produce bricks in WNC. Doing it ourselves is doable but risky as it would require a ton of labor over a month of all sunny weather. Machines to make these bricks are risky. Transporting them is too expensive.
Rammed earth works in this climate, but the forms and ramming aren't the most suited to the DIY-er, so probably looking at outsourcing this.
Cob
Attend a workshop https://cobworkshops.org/events/
https://www.cobitat.org/classes-workshops
https://www.thiscobhouse.com/cob-workshops/
uncle mud
dave olsen: fast cob
permits may be tough...
suitable for wide range of climates, including temperate rain forest of Oregon (so presumably good for WNC)
ideal for owner-buildres: easy, requires little skills or tooling, and allows for artistic expression.
may want different material for north wall for insulative qualities (strawbale, rammed earth, etc.) but cob's thermal mass for south side and cob simplicity for interior walls
anchor roof via roof plates for high wind (if exposed)
interior and exterior plasters must be breathable
only synthetic parts necessary:
use plastic drainage pipe underneath
silicon on the window glass to get them to stick
but probably best to do a standard concrete foundation (made to support the massive weight of cob - maybe "three stories") and insulate it too.
optional: post & beam / timber frame to support the roof first, then build cob walls.
posts along the inside of the house are best (see fig 6.16)
thermal mass rule of thumb: 1 hr per 1 inch of cob, so a 12" wall generally absorbs sun for 12 hours then releases it the next 12 hours.
check demolition sites / dumpsters for materials
call excavation contractors for free truckloads of soil for cob or concrete rubble for foundations
Straw clay walls look pretty easy. Provided you start with a post and beam structure, you essentially use two pieces of plywood around the beams and ram a straw-clay mixture down to make the wall. It's like cob/adobe but more insulative rather than more thermal mass. Could be a good balance. Also makes a house look "more conventional".
resources
Be your own house contractor by Carl Heldmann
questions to ask
Brad should be able to:
figure out if neighboring land is slotted for development / waste dump
figure out zoning restrictions
how deep a well would have to be
easements and other external rights
Put into contract that we can pull out if:
soil / load bearing tests for foundation fails (we may pay out of pocket for such tests)
perc test for septic fails
check existing easements or mineral rights before buying; don't buy something that other companies have rights to do stupid shit with
seller should supply this information
this info is available from county offices / title companies
access? do we need to build a road? how much will it cost?
dig up subsoil sample for a structural engineer/soil scientist/building department to determine if the subsoil is stable.
dig with shovel to determine depth of topsoil; have soil analyzed by state extension agency or local college professor.
What is the zoning? check with the county
what's the water situation? design everything around the water
any ancillary water sources?
send water to local health department for testing
position structures
away from water
away from wind exposure (shelter belt / windbreak)
access to sun
ideally in valley (warmest)
figure out how to envelope the house (passive climate maintenance)
envelope means: 15"+ thick walls ; glaze the south side
plus eaves of course
window: pane + frame matters; need insulation within frame to ensure R-8
then worry about power systems; might need much smaller fireplace
during construction, keep separate piles of topsoil and subsoil.
may need to threaten fines in contract for builders destroying trees/vegetation unnecessarily.
brad's advice
Find piece of land (topo, etc.)
Secure it (make offer)
If have time, talk to builder to talk about it
Then apply for septic via county, seller signs for the septic test
make rough picture of driveway and site location
county then performs a soil test
then approves permit
Then figure out well location - usually totally doable
if deep or needs pump, more expensive
Well and septic are the "question marks" for the land
Well and septic is 2-3 months long
Then apply for building permits - contractor handles all of this
Then building process
Brad is owner/contractor
he hires out some but does some himself
need to be present for all six inspection
law: you must have a septic system and a permanent foundation
maybe: must have well?
brad originally looked for no restrictions but then found reasons why that's not a great idea: 5 beautiful houses in a row, then a bunch of trash. never know what might happen in the future