
An efficient on-demand water heater can be added above the bathtub.

I like bathtubs because you can soak or take a quick shower. This enables a standard bathtub (recycled or new) to fit without modification. Most designs consolidate the plumbing on one 2×6 plumbing wall to reduce plumbing runs and save on materials and labor.īaths: Most baths are standard 5 feet wide. All cabinets shown are standard sizes - 24" deep base cabinets, 12" deep uppers, except for the 24" deep cabinet above the refrigerator (not shown for clarity). Even though these are small, affordable homes all of the kitchens are quite spacious and very efficient. The key to good kitchen design is an efficient work triangle, which all of my plans have. Years ago I was a National Kitchen and Bath Association certified designer, and have applied this training toward all of my projects. Kitchens: A great deal of thought has gone into the kitchens I design. recycled materials throughout (sinks, tubs, hardware, tile, shelving, etc.) energy-efficient windows, doors and appliances, such as solar or on-demand water heating, etc. non-toxic finishes and materials for cabinets, etc. small diameter, sustainably harvested wood R-45 roof insulation (cellulose, wool, cotton, rice hulls.) affordable roof options such as domes, spiral (reciprocal) roofs, green roofs, poles, pallet trusses, metal roofing for collecting rainwater, thatch, etc.

earth-berming for improved energy performance earthbag walls filled with soil or insulation, such as perlite, volcanic rock or rice hulls gravel-filled bags on a rubble trench foundation (with insulating fill material such as perlite or scoria in cold climates) house made of natural building materials could be built by a DIY builder for about $3,000-$10,000 (about $10/sq.ft.) and have the following features: Note: it's much easier to build this way in rural areas with minimal building codes.Ī typical 300-800 sq.ft. doesn't include things like land, building permits and utility hookups. This assumes doing most everything yourself and using the low-tech building ideas that I advocate. A small, simple house made of natural building materials could be built by a DIY builder for about $10/sq.ft. The short answer is it can cost as much or as little as you want. Not only are small houses less expensive to build, they're also easier to clean, and have lower utility and maintenance costs.Ĭost: How much do earthbag houses cost? Well, it depends on the size, features, construction details and how much work you are willing to do (versus paying contractors). Our current attitude of larger is better needs to change to meet the reality of dwindling resources, lack of affordable housing and global climate change. is spacious in comparison to many houses around the world.

People didn't feel deprived or poor in these houses. I've tried to return to the sizes prevalent 50-100 years ago, when an 800 sq. The easiest way to cut costs is to build small, so almost every plan I design is less than 1,000 interior square feet. My main goal has been to reduce the cost of housing, while also making the designs sustainable, easy to build and livable. The deck can be accessed by stairs or a ladder. This design is perfect for hot climates where breezes make a big difference in comfort.

The deck adds another 471 square feet of living space at very little extra cost. interior, one bedroom, one bath footprint: 27-6" x 27-6″Ībove is another version of the Hobbit House showing an open-air second story deck and rectangular windows. The undulating thatch roof or living roof is created by varying the knee wall height above the bond beam. Features include drop-down stairs that lead to a spacious loft, wood stove heating, and modern kitchen with pantry space for Hobbit food. This one and a half story home is designed for those people. They want a home that is easy to build and maintain, small yet adequate in size, with everything they need to live comfortably with their small friends.
#Hobbit house blueprint free#
Many people dream of a simpler life, free of the cares of this world.
