I will be undertaking a huge
project starting in the spring and I need some advice. My plan is to convert a harvestore silo, 20' by 40', into a
sustainable home. I am planning on using many different building techniques:
timber frame: an interior, load bearing, free standing structure, attached to the steel silo, 3 stories
straw bale- used for insulation on the north side, concerned about mold and condensation between the steel and straw. Northern Indiana is quite humid in the summers. Also concerned with floor space, this design takes over 2 feet of interior floor space away. Does anyone know of a higher r-value and less space-consuming natural insulation?
slip straw/ light straw clay on the south side to act as heat sink, the dark blue steel heats up in the winter, transferring to the
cob earthship- side building attached to silo using earth-rammed tires, north facing windows for passive
solar heating, tires used for walls of cellar
earth tubes- used for natural heating/cooling, concerned about condensation and dehumidification of air and mold in the straw bales
cistern for
water storage collected from roof- tall cistern, use gravity water pressure instead of pump
solar water heating/solar photovoltaic electricity system, backup
water heater masonry heater for winter heating
There are many kinks that I need to foresee and try to prevent before I start this project. If you have any advice for me, I would greatly appreciate it. I am concerned with structural and permit issues and think I am going to plan the house all out and have an architect make blueprints and sign on the design. Will this help in getting a permit? I will be building inside the pre-existing silo and there is a barn next to it where I will be taking down the rotten
wood and putting up the earth-rammed tires. Do I need a separate building permit for this structure, or not since it is built on an existing foundation? Any insight before I start this project would be helpful! Thank you!