Wednesday, November 7, 2007

I bought this property (it has a small double wide at the front of the lot) in 2005 with the intent of someday building an earth sheltered house. The home will be constructed from 3 and 1/2 approximately 30' x 30' domed, poured-in-place concrete units. There will be doors and windows on the front and back of the structure; the front has a courtyard, so it will have a window in every direction except for south. The top of the structure will have at least 3 feet of earth covering the entirety. As this house will not be below the natural grade of the land, it will be creating a hill that I look forward to landscaping with primarily native grasses in the space left vacant after the solar panels are installed. I am in the process of getting the plans altered to meet Florida code by a local engineer, as the original plans come from Minnesota. I hope to have the permit application in by next week. This will be a very efficient house by nature of its construction, but I want to make it more sustainable by using an efficient heat pump, installing ground mounted solar panels on the roof, and materials that are renewable and non-toxic. I am planning to use naturally tinted plaster on the interior; directly on the cement surfaces, atop lath and stucco walls, and on all exterior surfaces. I want to avoid using paint.

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