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! the first wofati - allerton abbey- version 0.7

Travis Johnson

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posted 7 years ago

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I am not a huge fan of "who is to blame here", and I am not saying that is the case at all in this circumstance, I am just saying I am more of, "we have an issue, how can we fix it...what is the work around?"

I wonder if in this case a wider foot print could be added onto the post so that it made a wider foot print above ground. I am not saying this is the final end all/be all design, we could all work together and generate a more detailed design, but maybe something like a steel half doughnut that slipped around the post and nailed to the side of it. Something that would hold up under the strain, but not impeded floor space. Again it is not an ideal situation, but it would add surface area.

You might not have to do this to every post, just the ones under the most strain.

Glenn Herbert

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posted 7 years ago

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I think that is the idea with notching the beams at floor level into the posts. I would hope there are stones beneath the new beams, to spread that load and keep the wood from direct soil contact.

Troy Rhodes

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posted 6 years ago

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So, how did things go over the winter??

How did the stove go, etc etc etc.

thanks

paul wheaton

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Location: missoula, montana (zone 4)

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posted 6 years ago

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Allerton abbey was empty over this winter.

My books, movies, videos, podcasts, events ... the big collection of paul wheaton stuff!

Travis Johnson

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posted 6 years ago

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paul wheaton wrote:Allerton abbey was empty over this winter.

That is really too bad, and I wished I lived closer as I think the WOFATI Design is rather unique, and would like to study its finer features more. I think it has a lot of potential as a low cost building system that provides a lot of comfort for low cost. We live on a hill so we get blasted by the wind, and trust me when I say, my wife and I covet the thought of hunkering underground in peace and harmony when the wind is blowing 35 knots or more.

I was hoping to build an underground retirement house for me and my wife, but after clearing the lot this winter, we realize the soil is just far too thin. It has a nice view, so with ledge rock 3 inches down, we are thinking about going in the opposite direction and building up. Probably anchor a Fire Tower Cabin to the rock and have a view even if the wind sloshes the water in the toilet! It is not really what we want, I think going underground has a lot more going for it, but blasting rock with dynamite and hauling in soil is just too costly for this site.

Here is our proposed building spot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6GqMUsRbPg

Rebecca Norman

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Location: Ladakh, Indian Himalayas at 10,500 feet, zone 5

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posted 6 years ago

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The 10-foot wooden pillars in our earthen building hold up a (wooden) second story and then a heavy flat earthen roof. Under the posts we laid the biggest roughly flat stones we could find, thick rough slates about 3 x 2 feet. Under that is the typical 3-foot deep drystone masonry foundation, too.

Pillars-in-SECMOL-Terra-Hall-from-above.JPG

Pillars-in-SECMOL-Terra-Hall-with-trombe-wall.JPG

Works at a residential alternative high school in the Himalayas SECMOL.org . "Back home" is Cape Cod, E Coast USA.

Alan Loy

Posts: 82

Location: Melbourne Australia

posted 6 years ago

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Travis Johnson wrote:

paul wheaton wrote:Allerton abbey was empty over this winter.

That is really too bad, and I wished I lived closer as I think the WOFATI Design is rather unique, and would like to study its finer features more. I think it has a lot of potential as a low cost building system that provides a lot of comfort for low cost. We live on a hill so we get blasted by the wind, and trust me when I say, my wife and I covet the thought of hunkering underground in peace and harmony when the wind is blowing 35 knots or more.

I was hoping to build an underground retirement house for me and my wife, but after clearing the lot this winter, we realize the soil is just far too thin. It has a nice view, so with ledge rock 3 inches down, we are thinking about going in the opposite direction and building up. Probably anchor a Fire Tower Cabin to the rock and have a view even if the wind sloshes the water in the toilet! It is not really what we want, I think going underground has a lot more going for it, but blasting rock with dynamite and hauling in soil is just too costly for this site.

Would an earthship ish design work there?

Dennis Gondola

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Location: Sacramento

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posted 6 years ago

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I'm thinking about what to do to get started with construction, want to install traditional and passive solar on the home once I am done with construction, so far have found some property off grid but I am trying to keep home construction costs under two thousand dollars.

paul wheaton

author and steward

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Location: missoula, montana (zone 4)

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posted 6 years ago

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jessica peterson posted some pics of the allerton abbey walls about a month ago ...

My books, movies, videos, podcasts, events ... the big collection of paul wheaton stuff!

Dc Brown

Posts: 86

posted 6 years ago

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Wow that looks like some beautiful housing well done I'm seriously impressed.

Just a couple of notes.

Heating the thermal mass seems fraught with difficulty. Would it be possible to use the exhaust from the RMH through pipework in the earth mass?

When you put in your structural poles, put a foot on them that sits level with or just below floor level. In this manner you have footed the poles as a fencer might, the difference being the position of the foot. No more underground migration.

It's a beautiful day in the tiny ad neighborhood

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