I'm not an architect, but I have worked in various aspects of construction for years. For the most part I know why houses are built the way they are: money. But there always seems to be horribly foolish ideas being built into every house I encounter...even the lavishly expensive ones. The time is coming soon for me to build or buy my own, and I'd like to bounce my ideas off people who know much more than I do. I'm also open to other off the wall suggestions.

-Skilled Labor Intensive
Balloon frame houses have been built on site for over a century and a half now with little change. Skilled, licensed crews of plumbers and electricians have been charging the big bucks because they are necessary. But why couldn't all the essential mechanics of a modern home (heating and air, water heaters, electrical and bathrooms) be built into a single compact unit. The unit would be factory assembled and warrantied with standardized parts, trucked to the site on wheels or a tractor trailer. The rest of the living space would be built around this core unit. Electricians and plumbers and HVAC techs would need only to tap into this unit for custom applications, greatly speeding installation.

-Standardized, interlocking, pre-insulated wall and floor panels?
Wood is cheap, no doubt about it. But so is hand-building each part of a house, including the sheetrocking and painting. Three crews and weeks of work. I've seen a few homes built with metal, commercial style, but the costs were enormous. But really I'm open to anything. Even masonry, though masonry homes are usually twice as expensive since the interior walls are still built from wood and sheetrock to allow insulation, and masonry requires skilled labor or complicated concrete pours. No material currently used for houses is really strong. I drove a tractor right though a house one time(as instructed). It crumbled pathetically.

-Security
Building code REQUIRES first floor windows in every room, every so many feet. Which means every homeowner in the country is essentially counting on the honor system to prevent theft and assault. Metal shutters and small windows would solve this. Panic release buttons on the inside could allow quick fire escape. Fire and police departments would oppose this since they couldn't break in as easily(I don't have a solution to this.) Also, any 80lbs girl can kick in a wood door in a wood frame. Residential security in almost all homes is a joke.

-Livability Issues
Why do so few houses have a “buffer room” near the door? I mean a room with a concrete floor and a shower and a drain, just a place to wash yourself off or change your shoes. Funeral home workers usually have one of these to get rid of the smell.

There's no reason most single family homes couldn't support 20 people in an emergency(or, as I like to call it, the future), other than inadequate bathrooms. Years of work outdoors has made me appreciate indoor plumbing...it's what separates us from animals. Yet many homes (and especially bars) skimp out big time on the facilities.

I'm also a big fan of accessible roofs, especially on apartments in moderate climates. It's just wasted space most of the time, assuming the structure can support the weight.

Almost no homes are built with wheelchair ramps or accessible appliances, but virtually everyone will need one at some point, especially the boomers. Stupidity.

-Energy
This isn't rocket science, but it's basically ignored in houses. Little things like south facing windows(in the northern hemisphere) with awnings could reduce energy bills tremendously. Those skylight tubes are way too expensive for what they are, but they work wonderfully. Maybe add a sun-absorbing thermal wall(masonry and water). I'm also a big fan of houses half buried in hills, but the ones I've visited had big problems with dampness and insects.

Houses aren't built with modular heating and cooling in mind. I'd like to heat and cool only my bedrooms, but my current house layout and return placement makes that impossible. Plus it would damage my air conditioner. There has to be a better way. So many people build big houses(which makes financial sense rather than remodeling) but then they're forced to heat and cool rooms they never even enter.

Anyway, I welcome you to tell me why this won't work or what will and what the state of the industry is.

12/8/2009 9:01:51 PM

Taking design cues from a funeral home made me laugh.

If i ever build a custom home it will have a urinal!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Edited on December 8, 2009 at 9:17 PM. Reason : .]

12/8/2009 9:15:57 PM

That's what the "buffer room" is for. Take one step past the front door and let it flow.

Also,
-Sanitation
Carpet and fabrics are filthy. When the airborne superAIDS is going around, you won't be able to properly disinfect it. Washable(with a freaking water hose) floors and walls throughout. You can put down washable rugs if you must.

I'll bet you start seeing HEPA filtration systems and airlock type vestibules at each door. I live beside a highway and there's a black dust all over everything, I don't want to think about what I'm breathing. If you live in the city, you're probably one block away from a potentially deadly industrial gas cloud. Just ask anyone from Apex.

[Edited on December 8, 2009 at 9:39 PM. Reason : .]

12/8/2009 9:34:00 PM

I like where you're headed, here's my comments, I'm an architect, not that it means much.

-Skilled Labor Intensive
Different homes have different requirements. There just aren't enough similarities to make it cost-effective to manufacture. A single unit with 100,000 combinations would be cost prohibitive unless every home in the country used it.
Having multiple units allows for a couple of things. Ease of maintenance. If there's an issue with one part, you can replace that part without having to replace the whole unit.

-Standardized, interlocking, pre-insulated wall and floor panels?
Look into insulated precast wall panels, there are lots of modular wall systems out there for residences. Google: Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)

-Security
Basic life & safety win over security every time. Businesses often use Knox boxes (to get into secure ares), it could be something residences start using as well.

-Livability Issues
Most of these issues are addressed in LEED (in commercial uses) by having what's called a "walk-off" mat which is basically a trap for dirt, water, etc. to prevent contaminants from entering the building.
In terms of accessibility, I 100% agree. NCSU is a leader in Universal Design, you can check out more at their office. http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/

-Energy
It's not, look at Boulder, CO who just implemented a smart grid. Look at LEED for Homes, yes, there's a rating system for Homes. Look at Energy Star, yes, they have a rating for homes as well. In fact there's even an Energy Code for Homes. http://www.energycodes.gov/rescheck/ And LOTS of tax incentives by government & energy providers alike.

LEED for Homes
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=147

it's not just about sustainability, it's also about the quality of air, pollutants, energy-use, etc.

[Edited on December 8, 2009 at 9:43 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on December 8, 2009 at 9:47 PM. Reason : .]

12/8/2009 9:39:17 PM

^I'll look into those. Thank you.

At least one design firm in Raleigh (Tonic) is doing the core unit thing. They set a big box with all the mechanicals on site with a crane. Then they stick build the rest of the house(living rooms, bedrooms) around it to custom order.

Speaking of Tonic Design, here is one of their houses I worked on. It had lots of great features, despite a budget of $infinity. There's no need to go all commercial like this to build a smart house though. There's a 200 foot drop to crabtree creek off the back. It also features an elevator.


[Edited on December 8, 2009 at 9:52 PM. Reason : .]

12/8/2009 9:44:56 PM

But unless that unit is custom-made per house, then there are parts that are probably over-engineered, and more expensive than what separate units would cost. The labor to install the unit is FAR less than the labor required to install the wiring & ductwork, so I don't know how much in the end you'd save.

But I really am just speculating.

[Edited on December 8, 2009 at 9:51 PM. Reason : .]

12/8/2009 9:51:06 PM

I don't know man, you ever toured a mobile home manufacturing plant? Those guys move FAST, with very little waste.

I'm thinking basically every appliance, toilet, shower etc for a single family home all packaged together at reduced prices since you're buying in bulk. The bathroom and kitchen facilities could all hang out their respective walls, ready for rooms to be built around them. I worked HVAC for a while, and you're right about running ductwork, but if the unit was in the center of the house most rooms would touch it anyway. I don't know.

It would definitely require a corporate sponsor to be cost effective.

[Edited on December 8, 2009 at 9:59 PM. Reason : .]

12/8/2009 9:56:15 PM

^^^^I'm not too sure how cost effective Precast Concrete Insulated Wall Panels would be suited to residential construction.

There are pre-made insulated panels made of wood, structural insulated panels (SIP's), that would be more suited to residential construction.

12/8/2009 9:59:45 PM

Quote :

"If i ever build a custom home it will have a urinal!!!!!!!!!!!!"

12/8/2009 10:19:56 PM

Quote :

"-Skilled Labor Intensive Balloon frame houses have been built on site for over a century and a half now with little change. Skilled, licensed crews of plumbers and electricians have been charging the big bucks because they are necessary. But why couldn't all the essential mechanics of a modern home (heating and air, water heaters, electrical and bathrooms) be built into a single compact unit. The unit would be factory assembled and warrantied with standardized parts, trucked to the site on wheels or a tractor trailer. The rest of the living space would be built around this core unit. Electricians and plumbers and HVAC techs would need only to tap into this unit for custom applications, greatly speeding installation."

Horrible idea. First off there's a good reason why these items are seperate and it has to do with the physical requirements of each.
-AC condenser, must be outside
-Plumbing, runs to the bottom of the house for obvious reasons
-Electrical, you probably want this seperate from the water system for obvious reasons

Quote :

"-Security Building code REQUIRES first floor windows in every room, every so many feet. Which means every homeowner in the country is essentially counting on the honor system to prevent theft and assault. Metal shutters and small windows would solve this. Panic release buttons on the inside could allow quick fire escape. Fire and police departments would oppose this since they couldn't break in as easily(I don't have a solution to this.) Also, any 80lbs girl can kick in a wood door in a wood frame. Residential security in almost all homes is a joke"

Unless you live in the damn ghetto, security isn't typically a huge concern (though it is one), but the house you're describing is butt ass ugly from the outside.

Quote :

"-Livability Issues Why do so few houses have a “buffer room” near the door? I mean a room with a concrete floor and a shower and a drain, just a place to wash yourself off or change your shoes. Funeral home workers usually have one of these to get rid of the smell."

For efficency sake I would suggest just combining this with the garage.

Quote :

"Almost no homes are built with wheelchair ramps or accessible appliances, but virtually everyone will need one at some point, especially the boomers. Stupidity."

The house I'm living in now at 26 doesn't need accessibilty features I will need when I'm 80 because I probably won't be living here that far in the future. There is no reason for wheelchair ramps on the vast majority of new construction, just because in 50 years the homeowner might need it.


I don't get this thread. It's like you're trying to build a completely utilitarian house with no respect for how individualized a house needs to be.

12/8/2009 10:42:54 PM

I'm going to forward this with one statement: Look into doing some additional research. It seems like you are basing your thought process off of your experience working with construction. While a good starting point, not a good way to continue throughout the entire process. Both myself and my wife had to adjust our thinking more than a few times throughout the process based on input from other folks.

"The unit would be factory assembled and warrantied with standardized parts, trucked to the site on wheels or a tractor trailer"

Check. See modular homes. Ours got shipped in 4 separate pieces (see photo gallery for picture of near final result). Went with a base design and modified about 1/3 of the floorplan.

"Electricians and plumbers and HVAC techs would need only to tap into this unit for custom applications, greatly speeding installation."

Check. We did the electrical and plumbing ourselves. Our HVAC system is a geothermal system we contracted out somebody else to do.

"No material currently used for houses is really strong"

Agreed, but it does have to meet code for integrity. Why does strong matter? Not trolling, but asking? I'll tradeoff significant cost savings vs. the rare chance somebody does try to drive a tractor through our house.

"Residential security in almost all homes is a joke"

So is computer security. Suggest getting a dog if you don't have one. Also a tradeoff depending on where you want to live.

"Building code REQUIRES first floor windows in every room, every so many feet"

Not universally true. We have three rooms (great room, half bath, toilet room for master bath) with no windows that meets code.

"I'd like to heat and cool only my bedrooms"

Check. Geothermal system came with zoned heating / cooling. Our master suite is heated / cooled separately from the rest of the house. Once the upstairs is finished, that'll be a third zone controlled separately from the other two.

"Maybe add a sun-absorbing thermal wall"

Passive solar is a pain in the ass to design around. We went with geothermal as an alternative. Will look into active solar once the price point on it drops further and the technology continues to improve (crazy ridiculous advancements in last 5-10 years). It's doable, but a hassle.

"Why do so few houses have a “buffer room” near the door?"

No need for one with two professionals. I wish like hell I had one in our apartment when we were working on clearing the land and doing some other things with the house (crawlspace fun!), but otherwise, no need.

"I'm also a big fan of accessible roof"

Think aesthetics. Pitched roofs allow a nice mix of aesthetics and cost savings. Three dormers on the front will lend light upstairs (once finished), and back of house is southward facing and should (TBD) support solar panels in the future. Accessible roof would be nice if could be designed into aesthetics of house without draining your pockets.

"wheelchair ramps ... but virtually everyone will need one at some point, especially the boomers"

On average, family in US moves every 5-7 years. Not many folks think long-term like this.

"Carpet and fabrics are filthy"

Check. Sheets on the bed washed regularly. Hardwood floors or vinyl tile throughout rest of the house.


We spent some significant time researching what worked best of us. Not saying your ideas are bad by any means. Heh, I'm saying I think there are a lot of existing options out there that will indeed meet your needs.

[Edited on December 8, 2009 at 10:56 PM. Reason : omfg words]

12/8/2009 10:49:31 PM

No, that's perfect...big ideas tempered with realistic stories about what works. I don't have any experience with geothermal, but I'm looking into it.

In regards to strength I'm mainly concerned about withstanding storms. Other than a few lag bolts in the foundation, most houses are held together by gravity. But nothing would really handle a tornado. A reinforced basement would be sufficient I guess.

One thing many people don't think about is trees. I love trees, the free shade makes summer bearable. But both of the last two houses I've stayed in were smashed by trees causing major damage. It's almost like they're out to get me, they just always pick the wrong room to smash. So preferably no trees nearby, but let's face it, trees don't exist in modern subdivisions anyway.

12/8/2009 11:44:20 PM

Look into florida's building code or even our own coastal communities. They have standards for wind load and whatnot. iirc there's a 120 mph rating for windows, roofing, etc.

12/9/2009 12:10:19 AM

actually, i bet if you look, most houses survive wind from tornados and hurricanes quite well. What they dont survive is the flying debris or trees falling. You can build a roof strong enough to resist a large tree, but it will be so heavy you will have to build much thicker/heavier walls. Cost will increase exponentially, and construction will become much more complicated because none of the standard doors and windows will fit the thicker walls. If you want to build a more wind resistant design, avoid projections like dormers and overhangs. They catch the wind, and they increase the likelihood of roof leaks. Tonic does some beautiful work, but the waterproofing details on some of their stuff is nuts, and difficult to maintain in the long term.

Mechanical system size is highly variable, dependent on the home layout. It would difficult to have a one size fits all without making it bulky and expensive, and as mentioned above it would be hard to service long term.

Pedimats and other features are easy to incorporate without a buffer room. Prefab wall panels are fairly common now. The problem with accessible roofs is twofold. The additional material/weight required for live loads will cause the same problems as designing for a tree falling on the roof. It is also difficult to maintain the waterproof barrier if under foot traffic. It becomes a high maintenance item.

zoned heating is fairly common in new houses, and that technology is advancing rapidly, along with robotic blinds etc.

The best economy is obtained through ideas like the "Not so big house" book. Essentially make the layout and space in your house as useable as possible, which eliminates materials and long term upkeep costs. I have worked on several concrete houses, which while able to withstand trees/tornados/bombs have so many long term maintenance problems that they are not worth the cost or effort.

12/9/2009 12:40:31 AM

i think the lowest rating per code is to 90mph

Perlith brought up some good points, but seriously if you want accessibility check out NCSU's Universal Design center, so many other "smart" design features other than 'ramps'.

Dog has been the best security measure where I live now.

Quote :

""Maybe add a sun-absorbing thermal wall" Passive solar is a pain in the ass to design around. "

if you think of it that way, you aren't seeing the whole picture. the whole point of a thermal mass wall is that it keeps the building temperature more regulated so it's less energy required to heat/cool the house. the principle behind it is mass. you don't need to design 'around' it, it's can be as simple as just your exterior walls being masonry, obviously the thicker the better performance. i live in a house built in 1908 and the walls are all double-wythe brick, while it'd be costly to build now, it's thermal mass properties keep our house temperature very well regulated. granted we've had to add insulation to the basement and attic, but the perimeter walls work.

in part why ICF's are so effective is that they have mass and they have air space (best insulator)

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 12:44 AM. Reason : .]

12/9/2009 12:42:38 AM

Quote :

""I'm also a big fan of accessible roof" Think aesthetics. Pitched roofs allow a nice mix of aesthetics and cost savings. Three dormers on the front will lend light upstairs (once finished), and back of house is southward facing and should (TBD) support solar panels in the future. Accessible roof would be nice if could be designed into aesthetics of house without draining your pockets."

biggest reason is probably cost & loading. snow drift loading is a killer for flat roofs. the roof also has to be a lot stronger to be able to handle an occupancy loading. for a residence you are looking at roughly 50% more loading (assuming nothing strange is going on) on the roof structure designed as a deck/patio. pitched roofs have advantages like attic storage and a place to hide your air handler.


the OP acts like this "buffer room" is some new concept, but similar mud rooms are not uncommon in custom homes


^^^ at the coast it is 130mph. it is all based on ASCE-7. there is a wind speed map
here
http://utca.eng.ua.edu/projects/final_reports/00218report_files/image004.jpg

in SC (myrtle beach area) you have to design the building partially enclosed (like a garage with the door open, worse for wind-induced loading) instead of fully enclosed if the structure does not have impact resistant glass..

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 1:23 AM. Reason : ...]

12/9/2009 1:10:20 AM

^6 The economy and the housing market specifically has changed in the last 20 years.

people no longer (as a majority) build or purchase a house as if they are going to live in it the rest of their life. it's just the way our economy and our society as a whole has become. People don't live and work in the same place for 40 or 60 years.

you have to take into account, most people are thinking that they will either be moving jobs or moving houses in a 5-20 year range. no one these days is planning on retiring in the house they purchase at 30 years old, that's just they way things are.

I don't agree with this, my folks have made the house they purchased at 30 the house they want to retire in, it's more efficient and economical. until our economy and the nature of jobs change, the way we build residences as a whole will not change.

12/9/2009 2:08:04 AM

Quote :

"The house I'm living in now at 26 doesn't need accessibilty features I will need when I'm 80 because I probably won't be living here that far in the future. There is no reason for wheelchair ramps on the vast majority of new construction, just because in 50 years the homeowner might need it."

just because you dont need an accessible house right now doesn't mean it's not a good idea to move toward things being accessible all around in the future. When I buy a house I will have to consider getting something wheelchair accessible because my father in law is handicap. You'd be amazed how limited you become in a wheelchair. He can't go visit anyone really because almost no one has an accessible house theses days. It wouldn't hurt for homes to start moving in this direction if possible without sacrificing convenience

12/9/2009 4:08:42 AM

Quote :

"Residential security in almost all homes is a joke."

I would absolutely agree with this

12/9/2009 8:37:08 AM

I WILL NOT POST IN THIS THREAD
I WILL NOT POST IN THIS THREAD
I WILL NOT POST IN THIS THREAD

i DO NOT HAVE THE TIME I NEED TO DEVOTE TO ANSWER THIS THREAD ON TOPIC

I WILL NOT POST IN THIS THREAD
I WILL NOT POST IN THIS THREAD
I WILL NOT POST IN THIS THREAD.


I will say you have some good ideas, but please hire yourself a good architect when you are ready to start.

12/9/2009 9:20:23 AM

Look into geothermal heating and cooling. It's great stuff.

If you have a basement (or partial basement): Look into a reinforced cast-in-place concrete wall instead of masonry with block fill. Make sure that the wall is coated with a sealant (asphalt works) and that there is adequate free draining material used as backfill against the wall to prevent water from contacting the wall. Make sure your slab on grade is poured on a firm subgrade. Settlement shouldn't be an issue because the weight of the soil removed for the basement weighs more than the house itself.

No basement: Make sure you build your house on a lot with a firm subgrade (ask to see the subgrade verification form when purchasing the lot) If you don't have one I would ask a local geotechnical engineering firm to come take a look to see if there is any concerns you should be worried about. Import clean, granular fill material to construct your pad. Make sure they are compacting it! Build you house with a slab-on-grade and not a crawl space.

If you're thinking about masonry walls - look into precast concrete panels as an alternative.

I agree with the energy bits about trees, windows (the ones in our apartment face west. Whammy ), thermal walls, etc.

"buffer room" or "mud room" is a good idea. deep sinks are good here.

As far as security, try thorny plants beneath the windows.

12/9/2009 9:33:22 AM

Without reading the whole thread, This Old House made a prefabricated higher-end house last season.

12/9/2009 9:37:42 AM

Please don't use this old house as a reference. They are infuriating.

12/9/2009 9:44:09 AM

if you need an architect, i can help you out (i work for one). we have 3 LEED APs and we currently have several projects in coastal NC dealing with hurricane ratings too.

Oakley Collier Architects, PA
mliv@oakleycollier.com

12/9/2009 9:44:28 AM

Oddly enough, I am an Architect... some thoughts to ponder:

Quote :

"But why couldn't all the essential mechanics of a modern home (heating and air, water heaters, electrical and bathrooms) be built into a single compact unit. The unit would be factory assembled and warrantied with standardized parts, trucked to the site on wheels or a tractor trailer..."

Pre-fabricated, or some hybrid prefab/site built construction is the holy grail of residential Architecture. The industry folks have been talking since the first half of the twentieth century about how new technology and materials will totally change the industry... To date, it has not been successfully implemented on a large scale. There have been some good examples here and there, but nothing successful enough to put the big voices in the industry (Home Builders) in their proper place.

The idea of a modular 'core' encompassing as much as possible of utility spaces, wiring, mechanical, etc. is a solid one. You could make this work, but as a one of a kind house, you will likely not be able to capitalize on the efficiencies of prefabrication. In concept solid, but the capital and level of pre-sold units required to make it work and affordable on a large scale, could kill it. (Though if you look at the stick-built prefab industry [modular, not trailers] you may find a smaller scale business model that could work without the huge capital.)

Quote :

"Standardized, interlocking, pre-insulated wall and floor panels..."

There are several SIPs (Structural Insulated Panel) systems on the market, that have been successful on a wide variety of project scales... creating a much more energy efficient and airtight envelope than 18th century style balloon framing. The biggest key to going this route, is designing around the modular limits of the panels. You might also look into ICFs (Insulated Concrete Forms) unskilled laborers can lay these foam blocks on site as walls, and after proper bracing (that's the hard part) you pour concrete into the forms and voila, structure and insulation in one. It's another one that I've read a lot about, but anecdotal evidence seems to indicate is hard to do in an affordable way.

Quote :

"Building code REQUIRES first floor windows in every room, every so many feet. Which means every homeowner in the country is essentially counting on the honor system to prevent theft and assault..."

North Carolina Building Code section R310 gets into the nitty gritty of emergency escape and rescue openings. It's not pretty from a security standpoint, but the building code is more concerned with being able to get children out of a burning structure than say, defending your homestead against a raging mob of the walking undead.

With that said, the requirements are pretty lenient, opening shall have a sill height of not more than 44 inches off the floor, with a minimum net clear openable area of 4 square feet. (For a typical double hung window, this means that when the window is open, there have to be at least 4 square feet of open air) It also stipulates that the overall window needs to be at least 5 square feet of glazing (top and bottom sash in a typical double hung) This is to allow those fire fighters to break in the window.

The idea of metal shutters with panic buttons may be possible, but you'll find metal shutters are extraordinarily expensive (like hurricane shutters for example, they often cost more than the windows they are protecting) You'll also be hard pressed to get this by any building inspector. If security is such a large priority that windows 44" off the floor would be too low for you, you might consider securing the whole site with some type of walls. (Tadao Ando and other Japanese Architects do some very cool urban courtyards that are pretty intimidating from the outside, but make for very compelling interior spaces.)

Quote :

"Why do so few houses have a “buffer room” near the door..."

For the most part, the closest I've seen to what you're talking about is a mudroom. Though I have seen a handful of mudrooms with floor drains and the ability to hose down a dog or person in the room... Generally on country homes with an owner that likes to hunt, hike, or has large dogs. This could easily be incorporated into a custom home with little additional cost.

Quote :

"There's no reason most single family homes couldn't support 20 people in an emergency(or, as I like to call it, the future)..."

This is correct, in my opinion. We build to convenience, and show factor in America. Not so much function, bathrooms are often larger than they need to be to function, with less actual facilities than would be ideal. If the 'hall bath' in your typical suburbanite mcmansion was designed more like a small locker room for the kids, and less like a day spa, I'd be willing to be it'd function better and you could easily avoid the 'my brother / sister is hogging the bathroom' nonsense.

Quote :

"I'm also a big fan of accessible roofs, especially on apartments in moderate climates. It's just wasted space most of the time, assuming the structure can support the weight."

Flat roofs are almost always more expensive. It's a combination of higher structural needs, durability, and the unspoken 'it's different' factor for builders. (More on this later)

Quote :

"Almost no homes are built with wheelchair ramps or accessible appliances, but virtually everyone will need one at some point, especially the boomers. Stupidity."

Codes are constantly changing, I expect we will see them push farther in this direction in the very near future, particularly, as you said, with the boomers all coming to that age.

Quote :

"This isn't rocket science, but it's basically ignored in houses. Little things like south facing windows(in the northern hemisphere) with awnings could reduce energy bills tremendously..."

I could talk all day long about how stupidly we design and arrange houses in America. Rarely are they oriented to take advantage of passive solar heating and cooling. The desire for natural daylighting to avoid the usage of electric lighting during the day is something that was pretty hip in the 70s, then died out in recent years. As energy costs continue to rise, I expect this will become a concern once again very soon. *Also of note, your aversion to large expanses of glass can conflict these concerns. Copious amounts of high windows, with strategically sized overhangs might serve both purposes well.

Quote :

"Houses aren't built with modular heating and cooling in mind. I'd like to heat and cool only my bedrooms, but my current house layout and return placement makes that impossible. Plus it would damage my air conditioner. There has to be a better way. So many people build big houses(which makes financial sense rather than remodeling) but then they're forced to heat and cool rooms they never even enter."

Zoned air conditioning systems (like in commercial buildings) are in lots of places in Europe in new buildings, and I expect will eventually break into the market in the US... You can get them now, but like everything else discussed here, you'll pay a premium for it.

Conclusions, thoughts to ponder moving forward
First and foremost, you should absolutely talk to an Architect before getting too far. If you have a site in mind already, you'll want to walk the site with them, if you haven't got one already, they would be able to help you pick that ideal site.

Cost will be an issue, particularly financing. In today's industry, in the midst of the fallout from the mortgage crisis, getting financing is incredibly difficult. Particularly for something unique and/or modern (as several of your ideas would lead the design in that direction.) It's something of a fixed game, with real estate agents, home builders, and appraisers all pushing for 'more of the same.' Some of these are simply out of convenience (trying to find a comp for an energy efficient modern house in say, Hillsborough, is a very tall order indeed.) Others, out of outright laziness (an unwillingness on the part of appraisers to evaluate a building in enough detail to take into account things like energy efficiency and durability of construction.)

So if you haven't already done so, figure out your budget, based upon a significant down payment. Then, once you've established what the bank will give you, design at 15-20% less than your budget. You'll want that contingency room, I guarantee it.

There are a lot of unique programs, tax incentives, etc. for energy efficient housing. LEED Residential has it's perks, but in other ways it's an abysmal failure. The EnergyStar stuff is good, but not a consistently high enough bar for my tastes. It's quite possible to design a net-zero energy house, particularly in our relatively mild climate, provided you're willing to pay the extra cost up front. (Amortized over the life of your loan, you'll find it's cheaper in the long run to spend an extra 5 or 10% making a better house, than sending that money to your local utility company.

http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/homeowner.cfm?state=NC&re=1&ee=1 Check here for NC based Green Building / Energy Incentives.

12/9/2009 10:02:31 AM

Quote :

"^^^^I'm not too sure how cost effective Precast Concrete Insulated Wall Panels would be suited to residential construction. "

Missed this before. We've done precast concrete walls as well, these guys (http://www.international-precast.com/) do it locally. As well as bank vaults. We've also used (with surprising success) Superior Walls on a basement / garage. The Superior Walls were much more cost effective than comparable cast in place concrete walls or reinforced block walls.

12/9/2009 10:06:57 AM

i was thinking about this the other day...my fiancée and i have a list of things we want in the next house (which we are hoping to build, but we'll see)...i might check that list when i get home and see if there's anything on it that's not been mentioned yet

12/9/2009 2:46:54 PM

"Building code REQUIRES first floor windows in every room, every so many feet"

I think this was mentioned earlier, but windows are an escape route in case of fire. You don't won't to wall yourself in.

12/9/2009 8:46:11 PM

A friend of mine drew up plans a while back to construct a house of those 40ft metal shipping containers. He bought some land in the virgin islands, and was going to add modules on as he had time. It was pretty slick, hurricane proof, and a unique idea. Something along those lines would be an interesting project for a design student. There is a lot of potential to develop modular, but customizeable housing.

12/9/2009 9:20:48 PM

Speaking of storage containers, here's a Raleigh house that looks like one. The "lot" was a drainage ditch between two other houses until they bought it. I like it.



Off topic, but this group in Canada built a massive underground nuclear apocalypse shelter by burying school buses in concrete. Doesn't get much cheaper or stronger than that. Until the government condemned it, that is.
http://www.webpal.org/d_resources/arktwo/index.htm

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 9:57 PM. Reason : .]

12/9/2009 9:49:20 PM

^I think that place was mentioned in a documentary about marijuana. Someone had broke into it and started setting up lamps and plants.

12/9/2009 11:54:20 PM

^^ what do you like about it?

12/10/2009 8:08:21 AM

shipping container houses have been around for a little while. i remember seeing one on hgtv (or something like that) about 3-4 years ago.

i remeber them talking about how they saved space and one was a wet room. basically the whole room i sealed. there is no shower stall, the whole bathroom is the shower stall, and everything is designed to be able to get wet.

with the excess of shipping containers, this is not a bad idea. i hear it is cheaper for china to make new containers than it is for the US to ship them back across the pacific.

12/10/2009 10:21:13 AM

good thread

can't wait to see more

12/10/2009 6:15:12 PM

I want urinals in all bathrooms. Its nice to just be able to pee forward and not really aim.

12/11/2009 12:09:06 AM

^^^was it this you saw on TV?



I've seen some pretty cool homes built from shipping containers

[Edited on December 11, 2009 at 12:35 AM. Reason : .]

12/11/2009 12:33:43 AM

Addressing the energy concerns, when I build my home in a few years I will likely use http://www.enertia.com/. Also, they are an NC based company so you'd be helping a local business while saving money.

12/11/2009 1:16:47 AM

no, the one i saw was very small. it almost seemed like it combined the use of shipping containers with designing a compact living space.

it was this (i think):
http://www.hybridseattle.com/c320studio.html

and more stuff from the same design firm:
http://www.hybridseattle.com/cargotecture.html

[Edited on December 11, 2009 at 11:40 AM. Reason : ..]

12/11/2009 11:39:28 AM

I'm sure this is all very interesting, but there are more words in this thread than I have read in the past week probably

12/11/2009 11:50:28 AM

haha, you aren't describing a "house". You're describing a "compound".

2/15/2010 10:39:44 PM

the answer to thermal mass problems is phase change drywall

the answer to security problems is laminated glass

2/15/2010 10:52:20 PM

I want to build a cargo container home.
Looking at an off water lot at Lake Gaston for it.
Neighborhood restrictions may kill it though.

2/15/2010 11:23:13 PM

^^unless I am mistaken, while phase change drywall is a cool concept, at this time it is not really optimized to be mass produced for a wide variety of climates. This is simply because of the fact that the right makeup requires knowing a set transition temperature and also really needs to be in an area where the daytime vs nighttime deltaT is rather noticeable to actually take advantage of the phase change.

Now yea, if you were building something and didn't care where you put it, you could pick an area that could really benefit from it as it is right now. It is definitely something to keep an eye on though.

2/16/2010 8:07:25 AM

Quote :

"If i ever build a custom home it will have a urinal"

That's really common in middle class homes in Japan. I lol whenever I go to a house that has a urinal installed.

Quote :

"Why do so few houses have a “buffer room” near the door? "

I thought these were called mudrooms and were common in farmhouses? At least every house in my grandmother's area in bumfuck nowhere SC has one.

[Edited on February 16, 2010 at 8:15 AM. Reason : a]

2/16/2010 8:12:59 AM

Quote :

"Why do so few houses have a “buffer room” near the door?"

Quote :

"I thought these were called mudrooms and were common in farmhouses? At least every house in my grandmother's area in bumfuck nowhere SC has one."

that's what we always called them...growing up in the middle of nowhere, myself and almost all of my friends were on farms...nearly all of the farmhouses had a tiled or linoleumed "buffer" room that'd you'd leave your shoes in (or, at least, clean them off)...it was also almost always the room with the washer and dryer, and dog food/water bowls...pretty much the room that no one cared about getting really dirty

regardless of where i build a house, it WILL have a mud room

2/16/2010 8:28:10 AM

Yeah they make a lot of sense. I don't really understand why suburban homes don't have them. City kids are just as dirty as country kids

Something like this would be perfect for a suburb house:









[Edited on February 16, 2010 at 8:35 AM. Reason : pics]

2/16/2010 8:32:03 AM

My garage serves as a mud room. The washer and dryer is in there which makes it even better.

2/16/2010 9:49:16 AM