Updated Earthship Floor Plan and Building Permit Feedback from our County!
The past month has been heavenly! We departed the world of The Earthship for a tad and entered into a softer, easier realm of family and friends throughout the holiday season. Not to say imperative to-dos haven't popped up and had to be tackled but we've certainly made the most of our vacation from tires and dirt.
In early December, we finally submitted our sealed earthship home drawings to our county for plan review and we just heard back this week! We received an adjudication letter with a list of corrections to be addressed. As I was reading through the list, I felt a greater sense of relief with each passing item as each one was something that could be addressed by our architect and/or with some quick research on our part. We most certainly aren't out of the woods yet, but we are hopeful that we are in the last leg of the building permit process! And to think, only one year after we started building our home... hahaha. In this case, the home came before the permit!
Speaking of architects, we would like to pass along our architect's information as he has been tremendous in helping us out on such short notice! His name is Matthew Stanfield from FiELD9 Architecture and he is based out of Mansfield, OH. He specializes in sustainable, modern architecture and actually came out for our first workshop weekend last April! CLICK HERE for the link to his website.
This is the most recent version of our floor plan.
The circular room at the southeast side of the home is to be made with bottle bricks. Our plan is to create a circular play and craft room entirely from bottles, and traditional framing to achieve a stained glass effect that will inspire us each day. This room along with the root cellar off the kitchen and our rocket stove bench are my most favorite features of the home.
We hope to begin working on our home once more this April once the ground and our brains and bodies have thawed out for the year. This is the first year I've actually appreciated the winter season. I feel that the closer one lives off the land, the more one yearns for a hunkering down and relief from the demanding seasons preceding it.
April will certainly be a full month for us as we are looking forward to our second son, Eivin Nikolai, being born as well! I realize that this almost certainly will mean I won't be slinging dirt and tires this year though which is bittersweet. My main focus will be taking care of our two sweet guys and finding ways to keep them entertained throughout the building process this year.
One way I plan to do so is through planting a garden so that we can have easy access to fresh, healthy food options on our land as we build this year. Eivin will be a tiny guy, so he will be delighted to be strapped to my body while Elliot and I plant and nurture our garden. We will be trying out the Square Foot Gardening technique this year as it seemed the most concrete, methodical way of creating a manageable garden with two kiddos in tow.
While I may be out for the count this year when it comes to partaking in the actual building process, we will again be inviting anyone and everyone (over the age of 16) to assist in our earthship build for 2015! Once a date is finalized, we will be sure to post information about our first big skill building/ work weekend. The fee for this weekend will only be to cover the cost of food for participants. However, should you desire to bring your own food along, the cost will be free! We're hoping to draw a big crowd to mark the start of our 2015 building year so please pass on the word! All throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall, we will be inviting those of you interested out each weekend to help us reach our goal of getting under roof this year and in the process, gaining the skills to build an earth-rammed tire home for FREE. Here is the flyer I'll be posting all around the surrounding areas in coming months. Please feel free to print off as many copies as you'd like or send it as an image to anyone you know who may be interested!
In early December, we finally submitted our sealed earthship home drawings to our county for plan review and we just heard back this week! We received an adjudication letter with a list of corrections to be addressed. As I was reading through the list, I felt a greater sense of relief with each passing item as each one was something that could be addressed by our architect and/or with some quick research on our part. We most certainly aren't out of the woods yet, but we are hopeful that we are in the last leg of the building permit process! And to think, only one year after we started building our home... hahaha. In this case, the home came before the permit!
Speaking of architects, we would like to pass along our architect's information as he has been tremendous in helping us out on such short notice! His name is Matthew Stanfield from FiELD9 Architecture and he is based out of Mansfield, OH. He specializes in sustainable, modern architecture and actually came out for our first workshop weekend last April! CLICK HERE for the link to his website.
This is the most recent version of our floor plan.
Please note, however that the following drawing is for demonstration purposes only. We disclaim any liability should one attempt to build a home or structure from the drawings we have included in our Secondhand Home Project blog. Also, this image may not be used or reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without written permission from Lauren and Zachary Craig.
The circular room at the southeast side of the home is to be made with bottle bricks. Our plan is to create a circular play and craft room entirely from bottles, and traditional framing to achieve a stained glass effect that will inspire us each day. This room along with the root cellar off the kitchen and our rocket stove bench are my most favorite features of the home.
We hope to begin working on our home once more this April once the ground and our brains and bodies have thawed out for the year. This is the first year I've actually appreciated the winter season. I feel that the closer one lives off the land, the more one yearns for a hunkering down and relief from the demanding seasons preceding it.
April will certainly be a full month for us as we are looking forward to our second son, Eivin Nikolai, being born as well! I realize that this almost certainly will mean I won't be slinging dirt and tires this year though which is bittersweet. My main focus will be taking care of our two sweet guys and finding ways to keep them entertained throughout the building process this year.
One way I plan to do so is through planting a garden so that we can have easy access to fresh, healthy food options on our land as we build this year. Eivin will be a tiny guy, so he will be delighted to be strapped to my body while Elliot and I plant and nurture our garden. We will be trying out the Square Foot Gardening technique this year as it seemed the most concrete, methodical way of creating a manageable garden with two kiddos in tow.
While I may be out for the count this year when it comes to partaking in the actual building process, we will again be inviting anyone and everyone (over the age of 16) to assist in our earthship build for 2015! Once a date is finalized, we will be sure to post information about our first big skill building/ work weekend. The fee for this weekend will only be to cover the cost of food for participants. However, should you desire to bring your own food along, the cost will be free! We're hoping to draw a big crowd to mark the start of our 2015 building year so please pass on the word! All throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall, we will be inviting those of you interested out each weekend to help us reach our goal of getting under roof this year and in the process, gaining the skills to build an earth-rammed tire home for FREE. Here is the flyer I'll be posting all around the surrounding areas in coming months. Please feel free to print off as many copies as you'd like or send it as an image to anyone you know who may be interested!
Cheers everyone to a brand spankin' new year!!!
Hi, Lauren! I commend you for choosing to live a better, sustainable life using materials that are earth-friendly. Your Earthship dream home idea is just wonderful! I’m happy to hear about your building permits and all. A house idea just like this one shouldn’t be hindered by trivialities. Hope everything goes well from here. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteDaniel Roberson @ MarkBentleyPA