Browse Forums Owner Builder Forum 1 Nov 30, 2014 4:06 pm After spending three years looking for an established home that satisfied my requirement for heritage character, rural location, appropriate size etc I have come to an important conclusion. What I want, does not yet exist. I have to build it myself. I am currently living in a 55sqm single bedroom home and find both the size and the floorplan to be fantastic for me. I'm past childbearing years so it's not as if my circumstances are going to suddenly change to require a larger home. I spent an inordinate amount of time researching all available options like container builds, kit homes, professional custom build etc and ran into a multitude of limitations with all of them. A builder wants me to double the size of my home to make it worthwhile, a container lacks the character I want and requires too much modification, none of the kit homes come close to either the size or style I like. After a lot of disappointment I've returned to my original love, which was a desire for a strawbale home with lots of big beams on the inside. It's a rustic look I adore and there's no getting around it. So now I know how I have to go with it. - Strawbale, either infill with post and beam or using loadbearing and having an exposed beam roof. - Stick to the size I want. It's the perfect balance for my lifestyle and as I must owner build I want the project achievable rather than too huge. - Get a builder to whip up the frame and roof, also doors and windows. - Do the internals and the wall raising rendering myself. Here's my floorplan. It's a simple linear floorplan that works amazingly well for living. I've been living with this for the past 7 months and there is very little I would change. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Bathroom - Being a very small home it was important that the sole facilities be accessible from a living area rather than via a bedroom. I don't want my guests to have to access an ensuite. Siting it near the kitchen plumbing is also efficient. The laundry facilities are part of the bathroom area. I've also chosen to house it in a weatherboard lean-to so that wet area's are not in contact with strawbale walls. This style of bathroom is very common in heritage homes so it's in character. Kitchen - there is not a lot of wall space for fitting a kitchen in this home. The answer to the lack of space was surprisingly an enormous island bench. It seems counter intuitive but that bench can house a huge amount of storage and doesn't chew up wall space needed for the living areas. The bench can also be used as an informal dining area with the use of stools. I also wanted to isolate the sink from the strawbale walls, this keeps the wet area of the kitchen well away from them. As I plan to investigate the possibility of a loft over the kitchen I also wanted to keep it all low, as wall cabinets under a loft may feel claustrophobic and pokey. I have a similar sized kitchen at the moment and to be honest most of the cabinets are unused. What is lacking in my present one though is benchspace, which is maximised in this design. Bedroom - I've given myself a spacious bedroom that can house a wall of storage for a wardrobe. It's a bit luxurious and decadent but essential in making a small home feel spacious rather than pokey. I have an antique double bed, which is dimenionsally smaller than most modern queens and it fits in this double bedroom beautifully. Hearth - I have no idea why but a hearth is a psychological need for me. I just can't do with the standard combustion heater and flue. So I've included space here for a chimney to be boxed in with fibre cement sheeting and then be tiled over with fired brick tiles. They look identical to bricks except they are only 1cm deep. Giving me a traditional hearth without the need for specialist skills and a bricklayer. I'm fine with a little pot belly being housed in this tromploi hearth. The flue will be hidden within it. Loft - I'm not yet sold on this but it seems like a good idea right now to place a loft over the kitchen area for a guest sleeping space. Doing so though will require a roof modification to accomodate standing height and may ultimately be not cost effective. It's a design element that sounds desirable but I'm open ended about it. Installing one would increase the living space by about 15sqm or so. So, what about the look? I'm a big fan or charming period homes but I could not find one small enough or with enough original features left to satisfy that need. Even harder to find one that's open plan on the inside. So obviously I want to create something that looks authentically period. Which means close attention will have to be paid to roof pitch, proportions and window and door choice. My architectural style of choice is gothic revival, with a rustic flavour. Typified by elongated proportions, steep pitched roof and decorative bargeboards and fretwork. Here's some examples of the style. http://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/highsm/13900/13940v.jpg http://maxipix-maxipix.blogspot.com.au/ ... point.html So I'm looking to create a simplified version of one of those soaring gables as a tiny home. With a verandah down one long side with fretwork on it and a small gable over the front door. Obviously mine will be single rather than double story. I'm currently talking to Post & Beam about getting them to do a frame and roof for me, also chatting to Huff n Puff about creating this with their new strawbale loadbearing situp panels, although I think there will a challenge for that last one because the walls have to be very high. Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 2Nov 30, 2014 4:31 pm Where is your site? What climate? Have you also looked at Peter Lees designs? Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 3Nov 30, 2014 4:44 pm Southern tablelands NSW. Thanks for the lead on those plans. Oh wow! love his blog posts, so informative. Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 4Dec 01, 2014 6:26 pm I've yet to secure a block but I know the exact location I want to buy in. I recently visited the southern tablelands around Goulburn and decided that was the spot. I like the combination of non-humid climate, 4 seasons and sharp winters. Today while searching online I found a nice 2 acre parcel that could fit the bill. I got the contract and there doesn't seem to be any covenants, council restrictions or nasties in there. The price is right and according to google maps the outlook is nice too. I'll have to make time to visit it this weekend. Its a completely cleared block and would allow me to position the house any orientation I choose. Post & Beam came back to me staight away, always a good sign. But I was quite impressed it was 5pm on a sunday. I've done some more research too and really I think post and beam style construction to be the best of all worlds for my build. I bought an online version of Timber Frame Construction to get an overview in how this kind of building goes, which is an interesting read as well. I ordered the Peter Lees design book, since those little cottages seem to be very close to what I want. They might even have a different floorplan I like better. I bought it afterreading his blog in which he pointed out a few simple ways to save on the cost of construction. His recommendations made sense so its worth a look even for my own education alone. Given that I'm still yet to purchase the land I estimate I orobably wont be thinking of startig the build for another 12 months which gives me time to save some more for the construction. Although I should have enough already even after the land purchase. The dream begins. Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 6Dec 02, 2014 4:22 pm Thanks, Yes I've been watching for your build for a while. Well another long lost dream got woken again today. And I spoke to these folks.... http://www.traditionaltimberframe.com.au/ http://www.timberframes.com.au/ It was a long shot because honestly I didn't think I'd have the money to even dream about it. Maybe I would be able to afford a timber framed porch or something. Well the can-o-worms are open now because after speaking to them at length it turns out, given how simple and small my building is one of these frames is within the realm of possibilities within my budget. I believe the words, very realistic, were used. That would include transport and construction of the frame onsite which would take a single day to achieve. It's early days yet, but I'm encouraged to look into it more closely. My heart is doing cartwheels right now. I have lusted over homes with this construction since birth. To even think I would actually afford it is beyond happiness. Wrapped in a strawbale shell, this would create an extremely wonderful home. Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 7Dec 05, 2014 5:03 pm Got Peter Lee's design book. I can see the sense in what he says but I'm not sold on the look of the homes to be honest. Yes loft space is like a freebie, but in the two smallest sizes (which are already bigger than I want anyway) I can't seem to get a decent floorplan. Mainly because the smallest one is actually square which doesn't make for great internal spaces. Unless I can find some miracle of internal layout design I don't think these are going to be for me. Plus they really need dormers to make effective use of the loft and that's another layer of complexity I didn't really want to negotiate. The S4 is the one that makes most sense having a similar footprint to what I want, but if I can fit it all in, on the ground floor anyway why bother building a loft? I think for larger homes these make sense as you get a lot of bang for your buck. But I'm wanting to do the reverse, make the home smaller not larger. Given my footprint will be very small no matter which way I look at it I can't see the big advantage in a loft to be honest, unless I just really wanted one I suppose. Stairs don't thrill me though. I'm finding home design to be a killer, especially in Australia. Every house looks exactly the same, they are all based around the large family and there is nothing particularly charming about Australian design. I'm so tired of looking at skillion roofs and colourbond. It seems like charm died sometime early last century. Time to go to the library for further inspiration. Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 8Dec 05, 2014 5:30 pm A post and beam for the main structure and as a feature inside would be relatively easy to do so a lot of builders would be able to do that. Do you have to go strawbales for the walls ? If it is the rugged plastered look you are after I'm sure there would be better alternatives. There would be a lot of builders who wouldn't want a bar of it so that would restrict you somewhat plus there are good products to get your insulation values up. Stewie Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 9Dec 06, 2014 11:45 pm Yes it has to be strawbale. I've spent a long time looking at alternatives and the upshot is, I just won't be happy unless I build a strawbale. It's been my dream for a long time. If I want to compromise on that I can just buy established and skip the build entirely. Anyway, I was mucking around with the smallest plan in Peter Lee's book today. My big objection to those plans was there nearly everything pictured just isn't my style. So I was determined to see if that plan could ever look the way I wanted it too. Here is the result, an S6 dressed up as a federation. I tried to keep it to scale to accurately reflect the proportions of the actual building. Difficult when all you've got is GIMP. I've used two of his maxi gables front and back. The S6 is 6mx6m with a loft. I've put two bedrooms in the loft and full bathroom, kitchen, laundry and living downstairs. The second bedroom is admittedly small so it's a home office/craft room convertible to a guest room with the use of a bi-folds or slide away wall. Both rooms access the balcony directly, the gable on the front is shared with a diving wall between the two doors. Still not thrilled with the internal layout but the exterior looks alright to me. The roofline has to be extended beyond the edge of the building for proper eaves for the strawbale. And I still need to do the gabled ends. The rear view isn't finished yet hence why no windows or doors. The weatherboard bit is the verandah enclosed to accomodate the bathroom/laundry. It's a possibility, but I'd have to find a better floorplan than what I've got right now. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 10Dec 07, 2014 4:28 pm Hi Strawlizzy, Being totally committed to an ideology like strawbale is admirable. I have helped many owner builders achieve their strawbale dream. I now have the hindsight to know to pitfalls, highs and lows of building with this method. There are some very reputable builders of strawbale on the web. It is not hard to find them. I have worked with the best and I know there are some issues that need to be addressed before you actually build. You sound like you have done your research so I don't really want to bore you but for the sake of the other owner builders considering this method then I will impart with some of my knowledge on this subject; The positives are many; 1) uses a waste product so therefore low carbon footprint 2) very high R value up to R10 3) excellent living space - low humidity, filtered air (sort of) sound attenuation, ambience, 4) great insulation for fire resistance 5) fairly simple to build for owner builders Some negatives are; 1) can be subject to moisture if not detailed properly which leads to composting 2) rendering techniques by professionals can be very expensive but it is not necessary if you have the right clay render mix 3)if you are getting a loan to build then banks won't like it because they look for any negative to knock back a loan 4) low resale value and hard to resell 5) walls end up about 500mm thick which can reduce living space especially in a small footprint 6) councils require an engineers certificate because strawbale does not comply with BCA 7) extreme weather variances can lead to cracking of protective coatings which can lead to moisture ingress cattle like to lick the outer render because of the salts...a bit like a giant lick block. A fence will stop this though. Apart from all these things my clients are really happy with their decision and I am sure you will be too. Good luck. Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 11Dec 07, 2014 5:28 pm Hi Greenify, Thanks for the input. I agree strawbale isn't perfect. Like all building materials it's a mixed bag. But I do believe it's probably one of the better mixed bags for a cooler temperate climate with low humidity and low rainfalll. Many of your list of negatives wont be such an issue for me. I'm not building for resale, it will probably be my one and only home. I've spent my youth travelling, courting and doing all those things which young people find change their lives dramatically. I'm now in a more stable period of my life. Any property which is not typical is going to have limited resale value, in my case, the sheer size of the home would already limit it's resale market anyway. Although if it's built of more conventional materials than perhaps it would find new life as a starter home that people might extend. But resale value is not a primary consideration, livability of the home longterm is. There will be no bank loan for the build, I have spoken with a couple of builders using post and beam method and they all say the bales go on the outside of the frame, so internal space is not affected (using standard stud internal walls) nal footprint gets bigger as a result though. I'm currently studying Build Your StrawBale Home, which is a detailed construction manual for this method, detailing all those little considerations for how moisture can get in via windows and door bucks etc. The second-runner up for my construction option would actually be weatherboard, with durra panel (compressed strawboard) lining and proper insulation. I love the look of traditional weatherboard and durra panel offers some of the advantages of strawbale without the bulk or need for render. You just install it like gyprock and paint it. Provides a similarly smooth surface texture. Not quite the same but probably a good compromise for obtaining some of the advantages of strawbale without the bulk. They even make the panel faced with fibre cement sheeting if you wanted to use it as external cladding. To be honest, my great love of strawbale is actually the wall thickness. Seeing a deep windsill is one of the key attractions of this material for me. Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 12Dec 07, 2014 6:00 pm Hi Strawlizzy, Just on a tachnical note a post and beam strawbale construction works best by having the structural framing encapsulated by the strawbale and clay render. This provides fire protection to your frame. It also provides the structural integrity of the strawbale which as you can imagine does not have its own structural integrity....unless designed as a load bearing strawbale structure which has not been all that successful in the past. I do like the deep recessed reveals around windows and doors as well...it is an endearing feature. Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 13Dec 07, 2014 7:18 pm Can you not just design your house from the internal dimensions outwards instead of the other way around? i.e decide how big you want your rooms, then add the straw bales/post and beam thicknesses then you end up with your external dimensions? Stick with your dream - you will not be happy otherwise. Most problems and negatives can be overcome. Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 14Dec 07, 2014 7:53 pm waxinggibbous Can you not just design your house from the internal dimensions outwards instead of the other way around? i.e decide how big you want your rooms, then add the straw bales/post and beam thicknesses then you end up with your external dimensions? Stick with your dream - you will not be happy otherwise. Most problems and negatives can be overcome. Thanks for the encouragement. Yes that is exactly what I did with the original floor plan. Those are the internal dimensions of the home I live in with the wall thickness added to the perimeter. I am currently chatting to some custom post and beam builders about the original floor plan. One has come back with a very handsome frame sketch. That frame is designed to be on display inside the home. Much like traditional homes in Europe. It's pricey though. Artistic carpentry isn't cheap. The other has aore modern version and should come back to me next week. I agree with sticking to the basics of what I want to create. On the grand scheme of things there is no such thing as an easy build. So if it's going to be labour intensive and hardwork I better have a vision that really inspires. Something worth working for. Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 15Dec 07, 2014 8:15 pm I like your vision. I love strawbale as well, (but too unconventional for DH ) and I love deep windowsills and framing beams Hold the dream, you never know what can happen down the track, things have a way of opening up when they are needed...Keep your eyes and ears open as you have been doing. I wish you all the best!!! Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 16Dec 07, 2014 9:26 pm Time for some strawbale inspiration. Here is the colour palette I would love. No hokey ochre and pinks for me. Silvered wood and shades of stone please. http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l7xkb ... o1_500.jpg And how about some serious artistry. its all in the proportion and finish. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OQYe2-NVYFM/T ... ale_13.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8FWlCDuc4tg/T ... ale_10.jpg Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 17Dec 07, 2014 10:53 pm Just a thought, and I apologise that I have not been able to draw something (I don't have an app of any sort) have you considered having a single "gothic" frame for the window at on the second floor and the entrance door. I mean, so the entrance seems really tall, with the bottom of the frame framing the door too. That way, the entrance and "bay" window will be part of the main feature of the house. To drive the style home, you could have the bay window round, and have the actual frames of the house to be in a "gothic" shape, if money allows. The arch frame can be simple and minimalistic or very much adorned depending on money, wants, and skills. Okay, that was harder to explain than I thought - Do I make sense or is it all gibberish? Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 18Dec 08, 2014 5:18 am Not gibberish at all. I'm going to do up a new elevation and see if I can draw that to have a look. It's really hard for me to visualise mentally. Thanks. Re: Tiny home on foundation, strawbale 55sqm. Floorplan. 20Dec 09, 2014 2:35 pm Okay. I've rejigged the original floorplan, to accomodate a guest room in a loft over the downstairs bedroom. Where to put the blasted stairs is always the thing, they take up an inordinate amount of space. So I did what's been done many times before, I created an entry vestibule to house the stairs. Works pretty well too. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ There is enough head height under the stairs to accomodate a seperate toilet or a laundry. Either way. I'm still tossing up which will be best. This is the ground floor. So bedroom, with a small downstairs bathroom, then kitchen and living area. The loft at the moment only extends to the kitchen then it's cathedral ceilings over the living area. Still tossing up whether or not to take the loft all the way across. The ceilings will be very high with a 40 degree roof pitch, and perhaps too high. Don't know yet. I definately don't need the extra loft space and I'd be at a bit of a loss to decide what to do with it if I did go that way. But overall I think this is an improved plan. I've done the front elevation but haven't finished the entry vestibule yet. Still playing around with window configurations and fretwork. This configuration reduces the overall length by a few meters. 2 6423 We already paid for somfy motors for the blinds. The quote above was purely for “pre-wiring” so the blinds company can install the motors and blinds. 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